31 CFR 560.306 - Iranian-origin goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. 560.306 Section 560.306 Money and... goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. (a) The terms goods..., extracted, or processed in Iran; and (2) Goods which have entered into Iranian commerce. (b) The terms...

31 CFR 560.306 - Iranian-origin goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. 560.306 Section 560.306 Money and... goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. (a) The terms goods..., extracted, or processed in Iran; and (2) Goods which have entered into Iranian commerce. (b) The terms...

Green fabricated CuO nanobullets via Olea europaea leaf extract shows auspicious antimicrobial potential.

PubMed

Maqbool, Qaisar; Iftikhar, Sidra; Nazar, Mudassar; Abbas, Fazal; Saleem, Asif; Hussain, Talib; Kausar, Rizwan; Anwaar, Sadaf; Jabeen, Nyla

2017-06-01

In present investigation, copper oxide (CuO) nanostructures have been prepared via green chemistry. Olea europaea leaf extract act as strong chelating agent for tailoring physical as well as bio-medical characteristics of CuO at the nano-size. Physical characterisation such as scanning electron microscope analysis depicts the formation of homogenised spherical shape nanoparticles (NPs) with average size of 42 nm. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy further confirmed the crystalline pure phase and monoclinic structure. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) testing is performed to evaluate the relative concentration of bioactive molecules in the O. europaea leaf extract. From HPLC results capping action of organic molecules around CuO-NPs is hypothesised. The antimicrobial potency of biosynthesised CuO-NPs have been evaluated using colony forming unit (CFU) counting assay and disc diffusion method which shows a significant zone of inhibition against bacterial and fungal strains may be highly potential for future antimicrobial pharmaceutics. Furthermore, reduction of various precursors by plant extract will reduce environmental impact over chemical synthesis.

Mechanism and analyses for extracting photosynthetic electrons using exogenous quinones - what makes a good extraction pathway?

PubMed

Longatte, G; Rappaport, F; Wollman, F-A; Guille-Collignon, M; Lemaître, F

2016-08-04

Plants or algae take many benefits from oxygenic photosynthesis by converting solar energy into chemical energy through the synthesis of carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water. However, the overall yield of this process is rather low (about 4% of the total energy available from sunlight is converted into chemical energy). This is the principal reason why recently many studies have been devoted to extraction of photosynthetic electrons in order to produce a sustainable electric current. Practically, the electron transfer occurs between the photosynthetic organism and an electrode and can be assisted by an exogenous mediator, mainly a quinone. In this regard, we recently reported on a method involving fluorescence measurements to estimate the ability of different quinones to extract photosynthetic electrons from a mutant of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. In the present work, we used the same kind of methodology to establish a zone diagram for predicting the most suitable experimental conditions to extract photoelectrons from intact algae (quinone concentration and light intensity) as a function of the purpose of the study. This will provide further insights into the extraction mechanism of photosynthetic electrons using exogenous quinones. Indeed fluorescence measurements allowed us to model the capacity of photosynthetic algae to donate electrons to an exogenous quinone by considering a numerical parameter called "open center ratio" which is related to the Photosystem II acceptor redox state. Then, using it as a proxy for investigating the extraction of photosynthetic electrons by means of an exogenous quinone, 2,6-DCBQ, we suggested an extraction mechanism that was globally found consistent with the experimentally extracted parameters.

Influence of different extraction methods on the yield and linalool content of the extracts of Eugenia uniflora L.

PubMed

Galhiane, Mário S; Rissato, Sandra R; Chierice, Gilberto O; Almeida, Marcos V; Silva, Letícia C

2006-09-15

This work has been developed using a sylvestral fruit tree, native to the Brazilian forest, the Eugenia uniflora L., one of the Mirtaceae family. The main goal of the analytical study was focused on extraction methods themselves. The method development pointed to the Clevenger extraction as the best yield in relation to SFE and Soxhlet. The SFE method presented a good yield but showed a big amount of components in the final extract, demonstrating low selectivity. The essential oil extracted was analyzed by GC/FID showing a large range of polarity and boiling point compounds, where linalool, a widely used compound, was identified. Furthermore, an analytical solid phase extraction method was used to clean it up and obtain separated classes of compounds that were fractionated and studied by GC/FID and GC/MS.

Antibacterial and antioxidant activities and chemical compositions of volatile oils extracted from Schisandra chinensis Baill. seeds using simultaneous distillation extraction method, and comparison with Soxhlet and microwave-assisted extraction.

PubMed

Teng, Hui; Lee, Won Y

2014-01-01

The volatile oils were isolated from dried Schisandra chinensis Baill. seeds by Soxhlet extraction (SE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), and simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE), and fractions were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The essential oils were assessed for their antioxidant and antibacterial activities. GC-MS results also revealed that the major ingredients in the oil extracted by SDE were terpenoids compounds such as ylangene (15.01%), α-phellandrene (8.23%), β-himachalene (6.95%), and cuparene (6.74), and the oil extracts of MAE and SE mainly contained aromatics such as schizandrins, wuweizisu C, and gomisin A. HPLC analysis results confirmed that more schizandrin was obtained through extraction by MAE (996.64 μg/g) and SE (722.13 μg/g). SDE oil extract showed more significant antioxidant activity than MAE or SE oil. Only volatile oil from SDE showed good antibacterial activity against all tested strains.

31 CFR 560.306 - Iranian-origin goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. 560.306 Section 560.306 Money and... Iranian-origin goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. (a) The..., extracted, or processed in Iran; and (2) Goods which have entered into Iranian commerce. (b) The terms...

31 CFR 560.306 - Iranian-origin goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. 560.306 Section 560.306 Money and... Iranian-origin goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. (a) The..., extracted, or processed in Iran; and (2) Goods which have entered into Iranian commerce. (b) The terms...

Bioguided Fractionation Shows Cassia alata Extract to Inhibit Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Growth and Biofilm Formation

PubMed Central

Saito, Samuel Takashi; Trentin, Danielle da Silva; Macedo, Alexandre José; Pungartnik, Cristina; Gosmann, Grace; Silveira, Jaqueline de Deos; Guecheva, Temenouga Nikolova; Henriques, João Antonio Pêgas; Brendel, Martin

2012-01-01

Plant extracts have a long history to be used in folk medicine. Cassia alata extracts are known to exert antibacterial activity but details on compounds and mechanism of action remain poorly explored. We purified and concentrated the aqueous leaf extract of C. alata by reverse phase-solid phase extraction and screened the resulting CaRP extract for antimicrobial activity. CaRP extract exhibited antimicrobial activity for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, S. aureus, and Bacillus subtilis. CaRP also inhibited biofilm formation of S. epidermidis and P. aeruginosa. Several bacterial growth-inhibiting compounds were detected when CaRP extract was fractionated by TLC chromatography coupled to bioautography agar overlay technique. HPLC chromatography of CaRP extract yielded 20 subfractions that were tested by bioautography for antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and S. epidermidis. Five bioactive fractions were detected and chemically characterized, using high-resolution mass spectrometry (qTOF-MS/MS). Six compounds from four fractions could be characterized as kaempferol, kaempferol-O-diglucoside, kaempferol-O-glucoside, quercetin-O-glucoside, rhein, and danthron. In the Salmonella/microsome assay CaRP showed weak mutagenicity (MI < 3) only in strain TA98, pointing to a frameshift mutation activity. These results indicate that C. alata leaf extract contains a minimum of 7 compounds with antimicrobial activity and that these together or as single substance are active in preventing formation of bacterial biofilm, indicating potential for therapeutic applications. PMID:22548121

Bioguided Fractionation Shows Cassia alata Extract to Inhibit Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Growth and Biofilm Formation.

PubMed

Saito, Samuel Takashi; Trentin, Danielle da Silva; Macedo, Alexandre José; Pungartnik, Cristina; Gosmann, Grace; Silveira, Jaqueline de Deos; Guecheva, Temenouga Nikolova; Henriques, João Antonio Pêgas; Brendel, Martin

2012-01-01

Plant extracts have a long history to be used in folk medicine. Cassia alata extracts are known to exert antibacterial activity but details on compounds and mechanism of action remain poorly explored. We purified and concentrated the aqueous leaf extract of C. alata by reverse phase-solid phase extraction and screened the resulting CaRP extract for antimicrobial activity. CaRP extract exhibited antimicrobial activity for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, S. aureus, and Bacillus subtilis. CaRP also inhibited biofilm formation of S. epidermidis and P. aeruginosa. Several bacterial growth-inhibiting compounds were detected when CaRP extract was fractionated by TLC chromatography coupled to bioautography agar overlay technique. HPLC chromatography of CaRP extract yielded 20 subfractions that were tested by bioautography for antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and S. epidermidis. Five bioactive fractions were detected and chemically characterized, using high-resolution mass spectrometry (qTOF-MS/MS). Six compounds from four fractions could be characterized as kaempferol, kaempferol-O-diglucoside, kaempferol-O-glucoside, quercetin-O-glucoside, rhein, and danthron. In the Salmonella/microsome assay CaRP showed weak mutagenicity (MI < 3) only in strain TA98, pointing to a frameshift mutation activity. These results indicate that C. alata leaf extract contains a minimum of 7 compounds with antimicrobial activity and that these together or as single substance are active in preventing formation of bacterial biofilm, indicating potential for therapeutic applications.

Modeling and prediction of extraction profile for microwave-assisted extraction based on absorbed microwave energy.

PubMed

Chan, Chung-Hung; Yusoff, Rozita; Ngoh, Gek-Cheng

2013-09-01

A modeling technique based on absorbed microwave energy was proposed to model microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of antioxidant compounds from cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) leaves. By adapting suitable extraction model at the basis of microwave energy absorbed during extraction, the model can be developed to predict extraction profile of MAE at various microwave irradiation power (100-600 W) and solvent loading (100-300 ml). Verification with experimental data confirmed that the prediction was accurate in capturing the extraction profile of MAE (R-square value greater than 0.87). Besides, the predicted yields from the model showed good agreement with the experimental results with less than 10% deviation observed. Furthermore, suitable extraction times to ensure high extraction yield at various MAE conditions can be estimated based on absorbed microwave energy. The estimation is feasible as more than 85% of active compounds can be extracted when compared with the conventional extraction technique. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oils extracted from Eupatorium adenophorum leaves show potential to control Phythium myriotylum in commercially-grown ginger

PubMed Central

Liu, Xiaoman; Yan, Dongdong; Ouyang, Canbin; Yang, Dongsheng; Wang, Qiuxia; Li, Yuan; Guo, Meixia; Cao, Aocheng

2017-01-01

Oils extracted from the leaves of Eupatorium adenophorum were tested in vitro and in vivo against the soilborne pathogen Pythium myriotylum which causes soft rot, a devastating disease of commercial ginger production in China. Twelve compounds accounting for 99.15% of the total oil composition were identified by GC-MS. The major components were 10Hβ-9-oxo-agerophorone (37.03%), 10Hα-9-oxo-agerophorone (37.73%) and 9-oxo-10, 11-dehydro-agerophorone (23.41%). Antifungal activity was tested by the poisoned food technique against P. myriotylum, indicating minimum inhibitory concentrations of 100μg/ml after 7 days incubation. In addition, the oil extracts greatly inhibited the formation of both wet and dry mycelial biomass. The combination of E. adenophorum oil extracts and synthetic fungicides showed a strong synergistic effect, inhibiting the mycelial growth in in vitro assays. The synergistic effect of oil extracts with fungicides could allow fungicides to be used at reduced rates in the future which has environmental advantages. Oil extracts applied at 160 and 200μg/ml concentrations to ginger rhizomes before inoculation with P. myriotylum significantly reduced the infection rate in ginger. Examination by light and transmission electron microscopy revealed that oil extracts caused swelling of the hyphae, disruption of the cell wall, degradation of the cytoplasmic organelles and shortening of the cytoplasmic inclusion. These results suggested that the plasma membrane and endomembrane systems of P. myriotylum were severely damaged by the oil extracts of E. adenophorum which offer significant potential for use as a fungicide to control P. myriotylum. PMID:28467445

Pressurized fluidized-bed component test program shows good promise

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1985-04-01

The test program described has involved extensive theoretical and laboratory work since 1976, which culminated in a series of PFBC rig tests at the Coal Utilization Research Laboratories (CURL) in Leatherhead, England, and eventually in the design and construction of a component test facility (CTF) at the Oresund Power Station of Sydkraft in Malmo, Sweden. The rig tests are listed. Those preceding the 1000-hr test in 1979 were carried out with and without cooling tubes in the bed, and with different bed characteristics; the main emphasis was on gas clean-up, combustion efficiency, and emission of sulfur and nitrogen oxides. Inmore » these tests, the exhaust gases from the PFBC were passed through a cyclone train containing two cyclones to remove particulate matter, and then through a static cascade that contained parts of turbine blades from an ASEA STAL GT-120 machine. Good performance data, for the most part, are reported. 4 references, 3 figures.« less

Extracts of Valeriana officinalis L. s.l. show anxiolytic and antidepressant effects but neither sedative nor myorelaxant properties.

PubMed

Hattesohl, Miguel; Feistel, Björn; Sievers, Hartwig; Lehnfeld, Romanus; Hegger, Mirjam; Winterhoff, Hilke

2008-01-01

Extracts of Valeriana officinalis L. s.l. are used for treating mild sleep disorders and nervous tension. Despite intensive research efforts, the pharmacological actions accounting for the clinical efficacy of valerian remain unclear. Thus, it was the aim of this study to evaluate CNS-related effects of different valerian extracts using behavioral paradigms (mice and rats). Following oral administration two commercially available preparations (extraction solvents: 45% methanol m/m and 70% ethanol v/v), a 35% ethanolic v/v extract and a refined extract derived from it (patented special extract phytofin Valerian 368) were tested for sedative (locomotor activity, ether-induced anaesthesia) and anxiolytic (elevated plus maze) activity. Using the forced swimming and the horizontal wire test the latter two extracts were additionally tested for antidepressant and myorelaxant properties. Up to maximum dosages of 500 or 1000 mg/kg bw none of the valerian extracts displayed sedative effects. Neither spontaneous activity was reduced nor the duration of ether-induced narcosis was prolonged. In contrast, results obtained in the elevated plus maze test revealed a pronounced anxiolytic effect of the 45% methanolic and 35% ethanolic extract as well as of phyotofin Valerian 368 in a dose range of 100-500 mg/kg bw. Additionally and different from its primary extract (35% ethanolic extract) phytofin Valerian 368 showed antidepressant activity in the forced swimming test after subacute treatment. Myorelaxant effects were not observed in dosages up to 1000 mg/kg bw. Due to these findings it is proposed that not sedative but anxiolytic and antidepressant activity, which was elaborated particularly in the special extract phytofin Valerian 368, considerably contribute to the sleep-enhancing properties of valerian.

Adaptive governance good practice: Show me the evidence!

PubMed

Sharma-Wallace, Lisa; Velarde, Sandra J; Wreford, Anita

2018-09-15

-based adaptive governance good practice within and across diverse sectors, issues, and contexts. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Antimicrobial activity of Gentiana lutea L. extracts.

PubMed

Savikin, Katarina; Menković, Nebojsa; Zdunić, Gordana; Stević, Tatjana; Radanović, Dragoja; Janković, Teodora

2009-01-01

Methanolic extracts of flowers and leaves of Gentiana lutea L., together with the isolated compounds mangiferin, isogentisin and gentiopicrin, were used to investigate the antimicrobial activity of the plant. A variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as the yeast Candida albicans has been included in this study. Both extracts and isolated compounds showed antimicrobial activity with MIC values ranging from 0.12-0.31 mg/ml. Our study indicated that the synergistic activity of the pure compounds may be responsible for the good antimicrobial effect of the extracts. Quantification of the secondary metabolites was performed using HPLC.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Mahkota Dewa (Phaleria Macrocarpa) Extract in Subcritical Water Extraction Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashim, N. A.; Mudalip, S. K. Abdul; Harun, N.; Che Man, R.; Sulaiman, S. Z.; Arshad, Z. I. M.; Shaarani, S. M.

2018-05-01

Mahkota Dewa (Phaleria Macrocarpa), a good source of saponin, flavanoid, polyphenol, alkaloid, and mangiferin has an extensive range of medicinal effects. The intermolecular interactions between solute and solvents such as hydrogen bonding considered as an important factor that affect the extraction of bioactive compounds. In this work, molecular dynamics simulation was performed to elucidate the hydrogen bonding exists between Mahkota Dewa extracts and water during subcritical extraction process. A bioactive compound in the Mahkota Dewa extract, namely mangiferin was selected as a model compound. The simulation was performed at 373 K and 4.0 MPa using COMPASS force field and Ewald summation method available in Material Studio 7.0 simulation package. The radial distribution functions (RDF) between mangiferin and water signify the presence of hydrogen bonding in the extraction process. The simulation of the binary mixture of mangiferin:water shows that strong hydrogen bonding was formed. It is suggested that, the intermolecular interaction between OH2O••HMR4(OH1) has been identified to be responsible for the mangiferin extraction process.

Zinc oxide crystal whiskers as a novel sorbent for solid-phase extraction of flavonoids.

PubMed

Wang, Licheng; Shangguan, Yangnan; Hou, Xiudan; Jia, Yong; Liu, Shujuan; Sun, Yingxin; Guo, Yong

2017-08-15

As a novel solid-phase extraction material, zinc oxide crystal whiskers were used to extract flavonoid compounds and showed good extraction abilities. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and surface area/pore volume characterized the sorbent. The zinc oxide was packed into a solid-phase extraction micro-column and its extraction ability was evaluated by four model flavonoid compounds. The sample loading and elution parameters were optimized and the zinc oxide based analytical method for flavonoids was established. It showed that the method has wide linearities from 1 to 150μg/L and low limits of detection at 0.25μg/L. The relative standard deviations of a single column repeatability and column to column reproducibility were less than 6.8% and 10.6%. Several real samples were analyzed by the established method and satisfactory results were obtained. The interactions between flavonoids and zinc oxide were calculated and proved to be from the Van der Waals' forces between the 4p and 5d orbitals from zinc atom and the neighboring π orbitals from flavonoid phenyl groups. Moreover, the zinc oxide crystal whiskers showed good stability and could be reused more than 50 times under the operation conditions. This work proves that the zinc oxide crystal whiskers are a good candidate for flavonoids enrichment. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Turkish Scorzonera Species Extracts Attenuate Cytokine Secretion via Inhibition of NF-κB Activation, Showing Anti-Inflammatory Effect in Vitro.

PubMed

Bahadır Acikara, Özlem; Hošek, Jan; Babula, Petr; Cvačka, Josef; Budešínský, Miloš; Dračinský, Martin; Saltan İşcan, Gülçin; Kadlecová, Daniela; Ballová, Ludmila; Šmejkal, Karel

2015-12-30

Scorzonera species are used in different folk medicines to combat many diseases, including the illnesses connected with inflammation. Previous experiments showed anti-inflammatory activity of Scorzonera extracts in vivo. S. latifolia, S. cana var. jacquiniana, S. tomentosa, S. mollis ssp. szowitsii, S. eriophora, S. incisa, S. cinerea, and S. parviflora extracts were, therefore, evaluated for their inhibitory activities of TNF-α and IL-1β production, and NF-κB nuclear translocation in THP-1 macrophages. The HPLC analysis was carried out to elucidate and to compare the composition of these extracts. Major compounds of the tested extracts have been isolated using different chromatographic techniques and further tested for their inhibitory activities on TNF-α and IL-1β production. Several extracts showed promising anti-inflammatory activity in these in vitro tests. Results of HPLC analysis revealed chlorogenic acid as a compound present in all tested extracts. Hyperoside, quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucoside and rutin were also present in varying amount in some Scorzonera species analyzed. Furthermore, eight phenolics which were identified as quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucoside (1), hyperoside (2), hydrangenol-8-O-glucoside (3), swertisin (4), 7-methylisoorientin (5), 4,5-O-dicaffeoyl-quinic acid (6), 3,5-di-O-caffeoyl-quinic acid (7), and chlorogenic acid (8) have been isolated as major phenolic compounds of the tested extracts and, together with eight terpenoids (9-16) previously obtained from different Scorzonera species, have been tested for the inhibition of TNF-α production, unfortunately with no activity comparable with standard.

Biological screening of Bangladeshi mango mistletoe bark extracts.

PubMed

Islam, R; Khurshid Alam, A H M; Hossain, M A; Mosaddik, M A; Sadik, G

2004-06-01

The ethyl acetate extract of the Bangladeshi mango mistletoe (Loranthus globosus) bark was found to be most effective against both Gram (+) and Gram (-) bacteria and it also showed good cytotoxicity with a LC50 10.83 microg/ml. Copyright 2004 Elsevier B.V.

Extract of Bauhinia vahlii Shows Antihyperglycemic Activity, Reverses Oxidative Stress, and Protects against Liver Damage in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats

PubMed Central

Elbanna, Ahmed H.; Nooh, Mohammed M.; Mahrous, Engy A.; Khaleel, Amal E.; Elalfy, Taha S.

2017-01-01

Background: Several studies have affirmed the effectiveness of some Bauhinia plants as antihyperglycemic agents. Objective: We investigated the possible effect of Bauhinia vahlii leaves extract in reducing hyperglycemia and reversing signs of organ damage associated with diabetes in streptozotocin (STZ) rat model. Materials and Methods: Both polar fraction of the B. vahlii leaves (defatted ethanolic extract [DEE]) and nonpolar fraction (n-hexane extract) were evaluated in vitro for α-glucosidase inhibition and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging potential. DEE was selected for further in vivo studies and was administered at two doses, i.e., 150 or 300 mg/kg to STZ-diabetic rats for 4 weeks. Results: Only DEE exhibited in vitro antioxidant and antihyperglycemic activities and its oral administration at both dose levels resulted in significant reduction in fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin. Furthermore, signs of oxidative stress as indicated by hepatic reduced glutathione, nitric oxide, and malondialdehyde levels were completely reversed. In addition, histopathological examination and measurement of serum aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase levels showed that DEE protected the liver from signs of liver pathogenesis when compared to diabetic untreated animals and those treated with metformin. Phytochemical analysis of DEE showed high flavonoids content with quercitrin as the major constituent along with other quercetin glycosides. Conclusion: This study strongly highlights the possible beneficial effect of B. vahlii leaves extract in relieving hyperglycemia and liver damage in STZ-diabetic rats and recommends further investigation of the value of quercetin derivatives in controlling diabetes and ameliorating liver damage associated with it. SUMMARY The polar fraction of the Bauhinia vahlii leaves (defatted ethanolic extract [DEE]) exhibited both in vitro antioxidant activity in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging assay and

Extraction of mercury(II) with sulfurized jojoba oil

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wisniak, J.; Schorr, G.; Zacovsky, D.

1990-09-01

Sulfurized jojoba oil containing 12% by weight S has been tested as an extractant for Hg(II) from aqueous solutions. This paper reports on experiments performed with the extractant dissolved in a solvent (liquid--liquid extraction) or adsorbed in an appropriate resin matrix (solid--liquid extraction). The extraction characteristics of both systems have been measured and show that sulfurized jojoba oil exhibits very good possibilities as an extractant. The performance of several resins treated with sulfurized jojoba oil for adsorbing mercury(II) was studied. The morphology of the different resins was examined by using scanning electron microscopy. The sulfurized oil is attached to themore » resin sites through the sulfur atoms; it is estimated that there are about 2 mol of S active sites per kilogram of resin.« less

In vitro antimalarial activity of medicinal plant extracts against Plasmodium falciparum.

PubMed

Bagavan, Asokan; Rahuman, Abdul Abdul; Kaushik, Naveen Kumar; Sahal, Dinkar

2011-01-01

Malaria is a major global public health problem, and the alarming spread of drug resistance and limited number of effective drugs now available underline how important it is to discover new antimalarial compounds. In the present study, ten plants were extracted with ethyl acetate and methanol and tested for their antimalarial activity against chloroquine (CQ)-sensitive (3D7) and CQ-resistant (Dd2 and INDO) strains of Plasmodium falciparum in culture using the fluorescence-based SYBR Green assay. Plant extracts showed moderate to good antiparasitic effects. Promising antiplasmodial activity was found in the extracts from two plants, Phyllanthus emblica leaf 50% inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) 3D7: 7.25 μg/mL (ethyl acetate extract), 3.125 μg/mL (methanol extract), and Syzygium aromaticum flower bud, IC₅₀ 3D7:13 μg/mL, (ethyl acetate extract) and 6.25 μg/mL (methanol extract). Moderate activity (30-75 μg/mL) was found in the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Abrus precatorius (seed) and Gloriosa superba (leaf); leaf ethyl acetate extracts of Annona squamosa and flower of Musa paradisiaca. The above mentioned plant extracts were also found to be active against CQ-resistant strains (Dd2 and INDO). Cytotoxicity study with P. emblica leaf and S. aromaticum flower bud, extracts showed good therapeutic indices. These results demonstrate that leaf ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of P. emblica and flower bud extract of S. aromaticum may serve as antimalarial agents even in their crude form. The isolation of compounds from P. emblica and S. aromaticum seems to be of special interest for further antimalarial studies.

Influence of Tannin Extract and Yeast Extract on Color Preservation and Anthocyanin Content of Mulberry Wine.

PubMed

You, Yilin; Li, Na; Han, Xue; Guo, Jielong; Liu, Guojie; Huang, Weidong; Zhan, Jicheng

2018-04-01

The color of mulberry wine is extremely unstable in processing and aging. This paper investigates the effects of tannin extract and yeast extract on the color and color-preserving characteristics of mulberry wine made from the Dashi cultivar. The results showed that the maximum absorption wavelength in both tannin extract and yeast extract groups changed generating the red shift effect. The color of the tannin extract maintained a good gloss in the first 4 months, while the yeast extract group showed remarkable color preservation for the first 3 months. The total anthocyanin and cyanidin-3-rutinoside contents in both experiment groups were significantly higher than that of the control group, thus proving that tannin extract and yeast extract both exert a remarkably positive effect on preserving the color of mulberry wine during its aging. Moreover, sensory analysis indicated that the quality of mulberry wine treated with tannin extract was significantly higher than that of the control. The distinct color of mulberry wine is one of the foremost qualities that imprints on consumers' senses, but it is extremely unstable in processing and aging. However, the color protection of mulberry wine was not studied previously. In this study, we found that tannin extract and yeast extract both exert a remarkably positive effect on preserving the color of mulberry wine during aging. The study is of great significance as a guide to improving the color stability of mulberry wine, thereby also improving and promoting the development of the mulberry deep processing industry. © 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Syzyguim guineense Extracts Show Antioxidant Activities and Beneficial Activities on Oxidative Stress Induced by Ferric Chloride in the Liver Homogenate

PubMed Central

Pieme, Constant Anatole; Ngoupayo, Joseph; Khou-Kouz Nkoulou, Claude Herve; Moukette Moukette, Bruno; Njinkio Nono, Borgia Legrand; Ama Moor, Vicky Jocelyne; Ze Minkande, Jacqueline; Yonkeu Ngogang, Jeanne

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro antioxidant activity, free radical scavenging property and the beneficial effects of extracts of various parts of Syzygium guineense in reducing oxidative stress damage in the liver. The effects of extracts on free radicals were determined on radicals DPPH, ABTS, NO and OH followed by the antioxidant properties using Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power assay (FRAP) and hosphomolybdenum (PPMB). The phytochemical screening of these extracts was performed by determination of the phenolic content. The oxidative damage inhibition in the liver was determined by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) as well as the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase. Overall, the bark extract of the ethanol/water or methanol showed the highest radical scavenging activities against DPPH, ABTS and OH radicals compared to the other extracts. This extract also contained the highest phenolic content implying the potential contribution of phenolic compounds towards the antioxidant activities. However, the methanol extract of the root demonstrated the highest protective effects of SOD and CAT against ferric chloride while the hydro-ethanol extract of the leaves exhibited the highest inhibitory effects on lipid peroxidation. These findings suggest that antioxidant properties of S. guineense extracts could be attributed to phenolic compounds revealed by phytochemical studies. Thus, the present results indicate clearly that the extracts of S. guineense possess antioxidant properties and could serve as free radical inhibitors or scavengers, acting possibly as primary antioxidants. The antioxidant properties of the bark extract may thus sustain its various biological activities. PMID:26785075

Metal fractionation in olive oil and urban sewage sludges using the three-stage BCR sequential extraction method and microwave single extractions.

PubMed

Pérez Cid, B; Fernández Alborés, A; Fernández Gómez, E; Faliqé López, E

2001-08-01

The conventional three-stage BCR sequential extraction method was employed for the fractionation of heavy metals in sewage sludge samples from an urban wastewater treatment plant and from an olive oil factory. The results obtained for Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn in these samples were compared with those attained by a simplified extraction procedure based on microwave single extractions and using the same reagents as employed in each individual BCR fraction. The microwave operating conditions in the single extractions (heating time and power) were optimized for all the metals studied in order to achieve an extraction efficiency similar to that of the conventional BCR procedure. The measurement of metals in the extracts was carried out by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The results obtained in the first and third fractions by the proposed procedure were, for all metals, in good agreement with those obtained using the BCR sequential method. Although in the reducible fraction the extraction efficiency of the accelerated procedure was inferior to that of the conventional method, the overall metals leached by both microwave single and sequential extractions were basically the same (recoveries between 90.09 and 103.7%), except for Zn in urban sewage sludges where an extraction efficiency of 87% was achieved. Chemometric analysis showed a good correlation between the results given by the two extraction methodologies compared. The application of the proposed approach to a certified reference material (CRM-601) also provided satisfactory results in the first and third fractions, as it was observed for the sludge samples analysed.

Study on antibacterial effect of medlar and hawthorn compound extract in vitro.

PubMed

Niu, Yang; Nan, Yi; Yuan, Ling; Wang, Rong

2013-01-01

This paper evaluated the antibacterial effect of medlar and hawthorn compound extract in vitro. Water extract method and ethanol extraction method was adopted to prepare the compound extracts, and disc diffusion method and improved test tube doubling dilution method were used to conduct the antibacterial test on the two common pathogenic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia, in vitro. The results showed that medlar and hawthorn compound extract was moderately sensitive to Staphylococcus aureus, while its inhibiting effect on Klebsiella pneumoniae was particularly significant, moreover, the antibacterial effect of ethanol extract was better than water extract. Medlar and hawthorn compounds had good antibacterial effect on the two pathogenic bacteria.

Valeriana officinalis Dry Plant Extract for Direct Compression: Preparation and Characterization.

PubMed

Gallo, Loreana; Ramírez-Rigo, María Veronica; Piña, Juliana; Palma, Santiago; Allemandi, Daniel; Bucalá, Verónica

2012-01-01

Valeriana officinalis L. (Valerianaceae) is one of the most widely used plants for the treatment of anxiety and insomnia. Usually dry plant extracts, including V. officinalis, are hygroscopic materials with poor physico-mechanical properties that can be directly compressed.A V. officinalis dry extract with moderate hygroscocity is suitable for direct compression, and was obtained by using a simple and economical technique. The V. officinalis fluid extract was oven-dried with colloidal silicon dioxide as a drying adjuvant. The addition of colloidal silicon dioxide resulted in a dry plant extract with good physico-mechanical properties for direct compression and lower hygroscopicity than the dry extract without the carrier. The dry plant extract glass transition temperature was considerably above room temperature (about 72 °C). The colloidal silicon dioxide also produced an antiplasticizing effect, improving the powder's physical stability.The pharmaceutical performance of the prepared V. officinalis dry extract was studied through the design of tablets. The manufactured tablets showed good compactability, friability, hardness, and disintegration time. Those containing a disintegrant (Avicel PH 101) exhibited the best pharmaceutical performance, having the lowest disintegration time of around 40 seconds.

Valeriana officinalis Dry Plant Extract for Direct Compression: Preparation and Characterization

PubMed Central

Gallo, Loreana; Ramírez-Rigo, María Veronica; Piña, Juliana; Palma, Santiago; Allemandi, Daniel; Bucalá, Verónica

2012-01-01

Valeriana officinalis L. (Valerianaceae) is one of the most widely used plants for the treatment of anxiety and insomnia. Usually dry plant extracts, including V. officinalis, are hygroscopic materials with poor physico-mechanical properties that can be directly compressed. A V. officinalis dry extract with moderate hygroscocity is suitable for direct compression, and was obtained by using a simple and economical technique. The V. officinalis fluid extract was oven-dried with colloidal silicon dioxide as a drying adjuvant. The addition of colloidal silicon dioxide resulted in a dry plant extract with good physico-mechanical properties for direct compression and lower hygroscopicity than the dry extract without the carrier. The dry plant extract glass transition temperature was considerably above room temperature (about 72 °C). The colloidal silicon dioxide also produced an antiplasticizing effect, improving the powder’s physical stability. The pharmaceutical performance of the prepared V. officinalis dry extract was studied through the design of tablets. The manufactured tablets showed good compactability, friability, hardness, and disintegration time. Those containing a disintegrant (Avicel PH 101) exhibited the best pharmaceutical performance, having the lowest disintegration time of around 40 seconds. PMID:23264947

A selective electromembrane extraction of uranium (VI) prior to its fluorometric determination in water.

PubMed

Davarani, Saied Saeed Hosseiny; Moazami, Hamid Reza; Keshtkar, Ali Reza; Banitaba, Mohammad Hossein; Nojavan, Saeed

2013-06-14

A novel method for the selective electromembrane extraction (EME) of U(6+) prior to fluorometric determination has been proposed. The effect of extraction conditions including supported liquid membrane (SLM) composition, extraction time and extraction voltage were investigated. An SLM composition of 1% di-2-ethyl hexyl phosphonic acid in nitrophenyl octyl ether (NPOE) showed good selectivity, recovery and enrichment factor. The best performance was achieved at an extraction potential of 80 volts and an extraction time of 14 minutes Under the optimized conditions, a linear range from 1 to 1000 ng mL(-1) and LOD of 0.1 ng mL(-1) were obtained for the determination of U(6+). The EME method showed good performance in sample cleanup and the reduction of the interfering effects of Mn(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+), Ni(2+), Fe(3+), Co(2+), Cu(2+), Cl(-) and PO4(3-) ions during fluorometric determination of uranium in real water samples. The recoveries above 54% and enrichment factors above 64.7 were obtained by the proposed method for real sample analysis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long-chain ionic liquid based mixed hemimicelles and magnetic dispersed solid-phase extraction for the extraction of fluorescent whitening agents in paper materials.

PubMed

Wang, Qing; Qiu, Bin; Chen, Xianbo; Wang, Bin; Zhang, Hui; Zhang, Xiaoyuan

2017-06-01

A novel mixed hemimicelles and magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction method based on long-chain ionic liquids for the extraction of five fluorescent whitening agents was established. The factors influenced on extraction efficiency were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, namely, the pH of sample solution at 8.0, the concentration of long chain ionic liquid at 0.5 mmol/L, the amount of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticle at 12 mg, extraction time at 10 min, pH 6.0 of methanol as eluent, and the desorption time at 1 min, satisfactory results were obtained. Wide linear ranges (0.02-10 ng/mL) and good linearity were attained (0.9997-0.9999). The intraday and interday RSDs were 2.1-8.3%. Limits of detection were 0.004-0.01 ng/mL, which were decreased by almost an order of magnitude compared to direct detection without extraction. The present method was applied to extract the fluorescent whitening agents in two kinds of paper samples, obtaining satisfactory results. All showed results illustrated that the detection sensitivity was improved and the proposed method was a good choice for the enriching and monitoring of trace fluorescent whitening agents. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Changes to the COS Extraction Algorithm for Lifetime Position 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Proffitt, Charles R.; Bostroem, K. Azalee; Ely, Justin; Foster, Deatrick; Hernandez, Svea; Hodge, Philip; Jedrzejewski, Robert I.; Lockwood, Sean A.; Massa, Derck; Peeples, Molly S.; Oliveira, Cristina M.; Penton, Steven V.; Plesha, Rachel; Roman-Duval, Julia; Sana, Hugues; Sahnow, David J.; Sonnentrucker, Paule; Taylor, Joanna M.

2015-09-01

The COS FUV Detector Lifetime Position 3 (LP3) has been placed only 2.5" below the original lifetime position (LP1). This is sufficiently close to gain-sagged regions at LP1 that a revised extraction algorithm is needed to ensure good spectral quality. We provide an overview of this new "TWOZONE" extraction algorithm, discuss its strengths and limitations, describe new output columns in the X1D files that show the boundaries of the new extraction regions, and provide some advice on how to manually tune the algorithm for specialized applications.

[Study on extraction technology of soyasaponins from residual of bean ware].

PubMed

Lu, Rumei; Zhang, Yizhen; Bi, Yi

2003-04-01

To find out the optimum extraction technology of soyasaponins from residual of bean ware. The optimum extraction conditions were investigated by the orthogonal design, and the content of soyasaponins was determined by UV-spectro-pho-tometry. The optimum extraction technology was A3B1C1, that is adding 7 times and 6 times amount of 70% alcohol and refluxing for two times and each time for 1.0 h. The selected technology showed higher yield of soyasaponins, good stability and high efficient.

An effective placental cotyledons proteins extraction method for 2D gel electrophoresis.

PubMed

Tan, Niu J; Daim, Leona D J; Jamil, Amilia A M; Mohtarrudin, Norhafizah; Thilakavathy, Karuppiah

2017-03-01

Effective protein extraction is essential especially in producing a well-resolved proteome on 2D gels. A well-resolved placental cotyledon proteome, with good reproducibility, have allowed researchers to study the proteins underlying the physiology and pathophysiology of pregnancy. The aim of this study is to determine the best protein extraction protocol for the extraction of protein from placental cotyledons tissues for a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-GE). Based on widely used protein extraction strategies, 12 different extraction methodologies were carefully selected, which included one chemical extraction, two mechanical extraction coupled protein precipitations, and nine chemical extraction coupled protein precipitations. Extracted proteins were resolved in a one-dimensional gel electrophoresis and 2D-GE; then, it was compared with set criteria: extraction efficacy, protein resolution, reproducibility, and recovery efficiency. Our results revealed that a better profile was obtained by chemical extraction in comparison to mechanical extraction. We further compared chemical extraction coupled protein precipitation methodologies, where the DNase/lithium chloride-dense sucrose homogenization coupled dichloromethane-methanol precipitation (DNase/LiCl-DSH-D/MPE) method showed good protein extraction efficiency. This, however, was carried out with the best protein resolution and proteome reproducibility on 2D-gels. DNase/LiCl-DSH-D/MPE was efficient in the extraction of proteins from placental cotyledons tissues. In addition, this methodology could hypothetically allow the protein extraction of any tissue that contains highly abundant lipid and glycogen. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

21 CFR 184.1560 - Ox bile extract.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... known as purified oxgall or sodium choleate, is a yellowish green, soft solid, with a partly sweet... evaporating the alcohol extract of concentrated bile. (b) Food-grade ox bile extract shall meet the... with § 184.1(b)(1) at levels not to exceed good manufacturing practice. Current good manufacturing...

Extraction kinetic modelling of total polyphenols and total anthocyanins from saffron floral bio-residues: Comparison of extraction methods.

PubMed

Da Porto, Carla; Natolino, Andrea

2018-08-30

Analysis of the extraction kinetic modelling for natural compounds is essential for industrial application. The second order rate model was applied to estimate the extraction kinetics of conventional solid-liquid extraction (CSLE), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of total polyphenols (TPC) from saffron floral bio-residues at different solid-to-liquid ratios (R S/L )(1:10, 1:20, 1:30, 1:50 g ml -1 ), ethanol 59% as solvent and 66 °C temperature. The optimum solid-to-liquid ratios for TPC kinetics were 1:20 for CLSE, 1:30 for UAE and 1:50 for MAE. The kinetics of total anthocyanins (TA) and antioxidant activity (AA) were investigated for the optimum R S/L for each method. The results showed a good prediction of the model for extraction kinetics in all experiments (R 2  > 0.99; NRMS 0.65-3.35%). The kinetic parameters were calculated and discussed. UAE, compared with the other methods, had the greater efficiency for TPC, TA and AA. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In vitro antimicrobial activity of extracts and isolated compound from Dalbergia stipulacea Roxb. leaves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Arvind; Bhat, Tahir Ahmad; Singh, Rattan Deep

2017-07-01

The study was designed to examine the in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of extracts and isolated compound of Dalbergia stipulacea. Combined extracts (chloroform and methanol) of plant leaves fractionated with n-butanol loaded with column afforded a flavonoid glycoside compound identified as luteolin 4'-rutinoside. Different extracts and isolated compound exhibited pronounced antibacterial and antifungal varied activities against four bacteria (Clostridium acetobutylinium, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus mutans, and Pseudomonas sp.) and one fungus (Candida albicans) susceptibility were determined using disc diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of extracts and isolated compounds was determined by broth dilution method. The maximum activity was shown by chloroform extract against C. albicans with a zone of inhibition of 17 mm and minimum activity was displayed by methanolic extract against Pseudomonas sp. with 5 mm. However, isolated compound has shown maximum activity against Pseudomonas sp. with 15 mm. The MIC values higher in methanol extract against Pseudomonas sp. and isolated compound shows good against Pseudomonas sp. and B. subtilis. Our findings indicate that plant could be used as a good antimicrobial agent in food, pharmaceutical and bio-pesticide industries.

Tetravalent uranium extraction by HDEHP in kerosene from phosphate medium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Daoud, J.A.; Zeid, M.M.; Aly, H.F.

1997-03-01

The extraction of U(IV) by di-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid (HDEHP) in kerosene from phosphoric acid was measured spectrophotometrically. The effect of extractant, phosphoric acid, uranium, Fe(II) and Fe(III) concentrations on the extraction process were separately investigated. The effect of different reagents and temperature on the stripping of U(IV) were also tested. The results obtained showed that the extraction increases with the increase in HDEHP and Fe(III) concentrations while it decreases with the increase in phosphoric acid, uranium and Fe(II) concentration. The use of high phosphoric acid concentration as strip solutions at low temperature was found to give good stripping results. 11more » refs., 8 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Good Agreements Make Good Friends

PubMed Central

Han, The Anh; Pereira, Luís Moniz; Santos, Francisco C.; Lenaerts, Tom

2013-01-01

When starting a new collaborative endeavor, it pays to establish upfront how strongly your partner commits to the common goal and what compensation can be expected in case the collaboration is violated. Diverse examples in biological and social contexts have demonstrated the pervasiveness of making prior agreements on posterior compensations, suggesting that this behavior could have been shaped by natural selection. Here, we analyze the evolutionary relevance of such a commitment strategy and relate it to the costly punishment strategy, where no prior agreements are made. We show that when the cost of arranging a commitment deal lies within certain limits, substantial levels of cooperation can be achieved. Moreover, these levels are higher than that achieved by simple costly punishment, especially when one insists on sharing the arrangement cost. Not only do we show that good agreements make good friends, agreements based on shared costs result in even better outcomes. PMID:24045873

Enzymatic treatment to improve the quality of black tea extracts.

PubMed

Chandini, S K; Rao, L Jaganmohan; Gowthaman, M K; Haware, D J; Subramanian, R

2011-08-01

Enzymatic extraction was investigated to improve the quality of black tea extracts with pretreatment of pectinase and tannase independently, successively and simultaneously. Pectinase improved the extractable-solids-yield (ESY) up to 11.5%, without much of an improvement in polyphenols recovery, while tannase pre-treatment showed a significant improvement in polyphenols recovery (14.3%) along with an 11.1% improvement in ESY. Among the four treatments, tannase-alone treatment showed the maximum improvement in tea quality, with higher polyphenols-in-extracted solids. Treatments involving tannase resulted in the significant release of gallic acid, due to its hydrolytic activity, leading to greater solubility besides favourably improving TF/TR ratio. The results suggested that employing a single enzyme, tannase, for the pre-treatment of black tea is desirable. Enzymatic extraction may be preferred over enzymatic clarification as it not only displayed reduction in tea cream and turbidity but also improved the recovery of polyphenols and ESY in the extract, as well as maintaining a good balance of tea quality. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antitumor and antiviral activity of Colombian medicinal plant extracts.

PubMed

Betancur-Galvis, L; Saez, J; Granados, H; Salazar, A; Ossa, J

1999-01-01

Extracts of nine species of plants traditionally used in Colombia for the treatment of a variety of diseases were tested in vitro for their potential antitumor (cytotoxicity) and antiherpetic activity. MTT (Tetrazolium blue) and Neutral Red colorimetric assays were used to evaluate the reduction of viability of cell cultures in presence and absence of the extracts. MTT was also used to evaluate the effects of the extracts on the lytic activity of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). The 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) and the 50% inhibitory concentration of the viral effect (EC50) for each extract were calculated by linear regression analysis. Extracts from Annona muricata, A. cherimolia and Rollinia membranacea, known for their cytotoxicity were used as positive controls. Likewise, acyclovir and heparin were used as positive controls of antiherpetic activity. Methanolic extract from Annona sp. on HEp-2 cells presented a CC50 value at 72 hr of 49.6x10(3)mg/ml. Neither of the other extracts examined showed a significant cytotoxicity. The aqueous extract from Beta vulgaris, the ethanol extract from Callisia grasilis and the methanol extract Annona sp. showed some antiherpetic activity with acceptable therapeutic indexes (the ratio of CC50 to EC50). These species are good candidates for further activity-monitored fractionation to identify active principles.

Evaluation of in-vitro antibacterial activity and anti-inflammatory activity for different extracts of Rauvolfia tetraphylla L. root bark

PubMed Central

Ganga Rao, B.; Umamaheswara Rao, P.; Sambasiva Rao, E.; Mallikarjuna Rao, T.; Praneeth. D, V. S.

2012-01-01

Objective To assess the in-vitro antibacterial activity and anti-inflammatory activity of orally administered different extracts (Hydro-alcoholic, methanolic, ethyl acetate and hexane) of Rauvolfia tetraphylla (R. tetraphylla) root bark in Carrageenan induced acute inflammation in rats. Methods In-vitro antibacterial activity was evaluated for extracts against four Gram positive and four Gram negative bacteria by using cylinder plate assay. Hydro-alcoholic extract (70% v/v ethanol) at 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg doses and methanolic, ethyl acetate and hexane extracts at doses 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg were tested for anti-inflammatory activity in Carrageenan induced rat paw oedema model and paw thickness was measured every one hour up to 6 hrs. Results All extracts of R. tetraphylla root bark showed good zone of inhibition against tested bacterial strains. In Carrageenan induced inflammation model, hydro-alcoholic and methanolic extract of R. tetraphylla root bark at three different doses produced significant (P<0.001) reduction when compared to vehicle treated control group and hexane, ethyl acetate extracts. Conclusions In the present study extracts of R. tetraphylla root bark shows good in-vitro antibacterial activity and in-vivo anti-inflammatory activity in rats. PMID:23569853

Evaluation of in-vitro antibacterial activity and anti-inflammatory activity for different extracts of Rauvolfia tetraphylla L. root bark.

PubMed

Ganga Rao, B; Umamaheswara Rao, P; Sambasiva Rao, E; Mallikarjuna Rao, T; Praneeth D, V S

2012-10-01

To assess the in-vitro antibacterial activity and anti-inflammatory activity of orally administered different extracts (Hydro-alcoholic, methanolic, ethyl acetate and hexane) of Rauvolfia tetraphylla (R. tetraphylla) root bark in Carrageenan induced acute inflammation in rats. In-vitro antibacterial activity was evaluated for extracts against four Gram positive and four Gram negative bacteria by using cylinder plate assay. Hydro-alcoholic extract (70% v/v ethanol) at 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg doses and methanolic, ethyl acetate and hexane extracts at doses 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg were tested for anti-inflammatory activity in Carrageenan induced rat paw oedema model and paw thickness was measured every one hour up to 6 hrs. All extracts of R. tetraphylla root bark showed good zone of inhibition against tested bacterial strains. In Carrageenan induced inflammation model, hydro-alcoholic and methanolic extract of R. tetraphylla root bark at three different doses produced significant (P<0.001) reduction when compared to vehicle treated control group and hexane, ethyl acetate extracts. In the present study extracts of R. tetraphylla root bark shows good in-vitro antibacterial activity and in-vivo anti-inflammatory activity in rats.

Antioxidative and prooxidative effects in food lipids and synergism with α-tocopherol of açaí seed extracts and grape rachis extracts.

PubMed

Melo, Priscilla Siqueira; Arrivetti, Leandro de Oliveira Rodrigues; Alencar, Severino Matias de; Skibsted, Leif H

2016-12-15

Extracts of açaí seed and of grape rachis alone or in combination with α-tocopherol were evaluated as antioxidants in (i) bulk soybean oil, (ii) soybean oil liposomes and (iii) soybean-oil/water emulsions. The extracts made with 57% aqueous ethanol showed an antioxidant activity not dependent on concentration for grape rachis extracts and a concentration-dependent prooxidative activity for açaí seed extracts in bulk soybean oil. Both the extracts, however, protected liposome suspensions and oil/water emulsions against lipid oxidation. Synergism was demonstrated when extracts were combined with α-tocopherol, effects explained by the solubility of extract components in the water-phase and of α-tocopherol in the lipid-phase. Phenolic profiling of the extracts by U-HPLC-ESI-LTQ-MS was used to identify active antioxidants. Açaí seed and grape rachis extracts served as good sources of procyanidins and flavan-3-ols, imparted high antioxidant activity especially when combined with α-tocopherol and are suggested for protection of food oil/water emulsions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microwave-assisted extraction performed in low temperature and in vacuo for the extraction of labile compounds in food samples.

PubMed

Xiao, Xiaohua; Song, Wei; Wang, Jiayue; Li, Gongke

2012-01-27

In this study, low temperature vacuum microwave-assisted extraction, which simultaneous performed microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) in low temperature and in vacuo environment, was proposed. The influencing parameters including solid/liquid ratio, extraction temperature, extraction time, degree of vacuum and microwave power were discussed. The predominance of low temperature vacuum microwave-assisted extraction was investigated by comparing the extraction yields of vitamin C, β-carotene, aloin A and astaxanthin in different foods with that in MAE and solvent extraction, and 5.2-243% increments were obtained. On the other hand, the chemical kinetics of vitamin C and aloin A, which composed two different steps including the extraction step of analyte transferred from matrix into solvent and the decomposition step of analyte degraded in the extraction solvent, were proposed. All of the decomposition rates (K(2)) for the selected analyte in low temperature, in vacuo and in nitrogen atmosphere decreased significantly comparing with that in conventional MAE, which are in agreement with that obtained from experiments. Consequently, the present method was successfully applied to extract labile compound from different food samples. These results showed that low temperature and/or in vacuo environment in microwave-assisted extraction system was especially important to prevent the degradation of labile components and have good potential on the extraction of labile compound in foods, pharmaceutical and natural products. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Repellency of Plant Extracts against the Legume Flower Thrips Megalurothrips sjostedti (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

PubMed Central

Abtew, Andnet; Subramanian, Sevgan; Cheseto, Xavier; Kreiter, Serge; Tropea Garzia, Giovanna; Martin, Thibaud

2015-01-01

Megalurothrips sjostedti Trybom is an important pest of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) in Africa. To propose an alternative to chemical control, the repellency of 24 plant extracts was evaluated against adult female thrips of M. sjostedti in the laboratory. Plant extracts in ethanol were separately applied on a filter paper disk in a still air visual cue olfactometer. The results showed highly significant differences in repellency among extract type, concentration and their interactions. We classified the level of repellency into four categories as strong, good, moderate and weak or non- repellent based on hierarchical ascendant classification. We identified Piper nigrum, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Cinnamomum cassia as strong repellents. Five extracts were classified as good, eight as moderate and the remaining eight extracts were weak or non-repellent. Repellency of the extracts increased with the concentration suggesting that the behavioral response of M. sjostedti was dose-dependent. Mono- and sesquiterpene hydrocarbon compounds from seven highly repellent extracts were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The use of repellent extracts could be useful in developing integrated pest management strategies for thrips on legume crops. In this regard, the specific modes of action of the identified compounds need to be investigated to incorporate them into the existing crop protection strategies. PMID:26463406

Polydimethylsiloxane rod extraction, a novel technique for the determination of organic micropollutants in water samples by thermal desorption-capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Montero, L; Popp, P; Paschke, A; Pawliszyn, J

2004-01-30

A novel, simple and inexpensive approach to absorptive extraction of organic compounds from environmental samples is presented. It consists of a polydimethylsiloxane rod used as an extraction media, enriched with analytes during shaking, then thermally desorbed and analyzed by GC-MS. Its performance was illustrated and evaluated for the enrichment of sub- to ng/l of selected chlorinated compounds (chlorobenzenes and polychlorinated biphenyls) in water samples. The new approach was compared to the stir bar sorptive extraction performance. A natural ground water sample from Bitterfeld, Germany, was also extracted using both methods, showing good agreement. The proposed approach presented good linearity, high sensitivity, good blank levels and recoveries comparable to stir bars, together with advantages such as simplicity, lower cost and higher feasibility.

Adulticidal activity of some Malaysian plant extracts against Aedes aegypti Linnaeus.

PubMed

Hidayatulfathi, O; Sallehuddin, S; Ibrahim, J

2004-12-01

The adulticidal activity of methanol extracts from three Malaysian plants namely Acorus calamus Linn., Litsea elliptica Blume and Piper aduncum Linn. against adult of Aedes aegypti (L.) were studied. Standard WHO bioassay tests were used to evaluate the effectiveness of these plant extracts. The hexane fraction from methanol extract of Acorus calamus rhizome was the most effective, exhibiting LC50 and LC90 values of 0.04 mgcm(-2) and 0.09 mgcm(-2) respectively. For L. elliptica, the methanol fraction also displayed good adulticidal property with the LC50 and LC90 values of 0.11 mgcm(-2) and 6.08 mgcm(-2) respectively. It is found that hexane fraction of the P. aduncum crude extract was the least effective among the three plants showing LC50 and LC90 values of 0.20 mgcm(-2) and 5.32 mgcm(-2), respectively. However, although A. calamus showed lowest LC values, the LT50 results indicated that the methanol fraction of L. elliptica was most potent extract among the extracts tested.

Pressurized liquid extraction and microwave-assisted extraction in the determination of organochlorine pesticides in fish muscle samples.

PubMed

Barriada-Pereira, Mercedes; Iglesias-García, Iván; González-Castro, María J; Muniategui-Lorenzo, Soledad; López-Mahía, Purificación; Prada-Rodríguez, Darío

2008-01-01

This paper describes a comparative study of 2 extraction methods, pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), for the determination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in fish muscle samples. In both cases, samples were extracted with hexane-acetone (50 + 50), and the extracts were purified by solid-phase extraction using a carbon cartridge as the adsorbent. Pesticides were eluted with hexane-ethyl acetate (80 + 20) and determined by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. Both methods demonstrated good linearity over the range studied (0.005-0.100 microg/mL). Detection limits ranged from 0.029 to 0.295 mg/kg for PLE and from 0.003 to 0.054 mg/kg for MAE. For most of the pesticides, analytical recoveries with both methods were between 80 and 120%, and the relative standard deviations were < 10%. The proposed methods were shown to be powerful techniques for the extraction of OCPs from fish muscle samples. Although good recovery rates were obtained with both extraction methods, MAE provided advantages with regard to sample handling, cost, analysis time, and solvent consumption. Acceptable validation parameters were obtained although MAE was shown to be more sensitive than PLE.

Pectin from Husk Tomato (Physalis ixocarpa Brot.): Rheological behavior at different extraction conditions.

PubMed

Morales-Contreras, Blanca E; Rosas-Flores, Walfred; Contreras-Esquivel, Juan C; Wicker, Louise; Morales-Castro, Juliana

2018-01-01

A rheological study was carried out to evaluate formulations of test dispersions and gels of high methoxyl pectins (HTHMP) obtained at different conditions from husk tomato waste (Physalis ixocarpa Brot.). The effect of extraction agent (hydrochloric acid or citric acid), blanching time (10 or 15min) and extraction time (15, 20 or 25min) on the rheology of the tested samples was evaluated. Flow behavior and activation energy were evaluated on the test dispersions, while (E a ) frequency sweeps, temperature sweep, creep-recovery test and penetration test were performed on the gels. HTHMP dispersions showed shear thinning flow behavior, while showing a good fit to Cross model. Extraction agent, blanching time and extraction time did not have effect on Cross parameters (η z , η∞, C, and m). E a decreased as blanching time and extraction time increased. Frequency sweeps revealed high dependence on frequency for both G' and G", while temperature sweeps (25- 95°C) showed thermostable husk tomato pectin gels. Hydrocloric acid (HCl) extracted pectin gels showed stronger structure than citric acid (CA) gels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

3D numerical simulations of negative hydrogen ion extraction using realistic plasma parameters, geometry of the extraction aperture and full 3D magnetic field map

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mochalskyy, S.; Wünderlich, D.; Ruf, B.; Franzen, P.; Fantz, U.; Minea, T.

2014-02-01

Decreasing the co-extracted electron current while simultaneously keeping negative ion (NI) current sufficiently high is a crucial issue on the development plasma source system for ITER Neutral Beam Injector. To support finding the best extraction conditions the 3D Particle-in-Cell Monte Carlo Collision electrostatic code ONIX (Orsay Negative Ion eXtraction) has been developed. Close collaboration with experiments and other numerical models allows performing realistic simulations with relevant input parameters: plasma properties, geometry of the extraction aperture, full 3D magnetic field map, etc. For the first time ONIX has been benchmarked with commercial positive ions tracing code KOBRA3D. A very good agreement in terms of the meniscus position and depth has been found. Simulation of NI extraction with different e/NI ratio in bulk plasma shows high relevance of the direct negative ion extraction from the surface produced NI in order to obtain extracted NI current as in the experimental results from BATMAN testbed.

Simultaneous extraction, identification and quantification of phenolic compounds in Eclipta prostrata using microwave-assisted extraction combined with HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS.

PubMed

Fang, Xinsheng; Wang, Jianhua; Hao, Jifu; Li, Xueke; Guo, Ning

2015-12-01

A simple and rapid method was developed using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) combined with HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS for the simultaneous extraction, identification, and quantification of phenolic compounds in Eclipta prostrata, a common herb and vegetable in China. The optimized parameters of MAE were: employing 50% ethanol as solvent, microwave power 400 W, temperature 70 °C, ratio of liquid/solid 30 mL/g and extraction time 2 min. Compared to conventional extraction methods, the optimized MAE can avoid the degradation of the phenolic compounds and simultaneously obtained the highest yields of all components faster with less consumption of solvent and energy. Six phenolic acids, six flavonoid glycosides and one coumarin were firstly identified. The phenolic compounds were quantified by HPLC-DAD with good linearity, precision, and accuracy. The extract obtained by MAE showed significant antioxidant activity. The proposed method provides a valuable and green analytical methodology for the investigation of phenolic components in natural plants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inhibition of LDL oxidation and oxidized LDL-induced foam cell formation in RAW 264.7 cells show anti-atherogenic properties of a foliar methanol extract of Scoparia dulcis.

PubMed

Nambiar, Sinjitha S; Shetty, Nandini Prasad; Bhatt, Praveena; Neelwarne, Bhagyalakshmi

2014-04-01

Oxidation of low density lipoproteins and their further uptake by macrophages is known to result in the formation of foam cells, which are critical in the initiation of atherosclerosis through activation of inflammatory signalling cascades. Thus, powerful dietary antioxidants are receiving attention for the reversal of such pathological states. Extracts of Scoparia dulcis have been used as tea and health drinks with various health promoting effects. In the present study, we examined the reactive oxygen scavenging potential as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic efficacies, using leaf extracts obtained after successive extraction with various solvents. A methanol extract showed potent antioxidant activity with an IC50 value of 570 μg/ml, caused hydrogen peroxide scavenging (28.9 µg/ml) and anti-inflammatory effects by improving human erythrocyte membrane stabilisation (about 86%). The methanol extract also efficiently inhibited lipid peroxidation and oxidation of low density lipoproteins, thus preventing foam cell formation in cultured RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, phytochemical screening of the extracts showed high accumulation of flavonoids. The foliar methanol extract of Scoparia dulcis has a strong anti-atherogenic potential and this property could be attributed maybe due to presence of flavonoids since HPLC analysis showed high concentrations of myricetin and rutin in the methanol extract.

Optimization of polysaccharides extraction from watermelon rinds: Structure, functional and biological activities.

PubMed

Romdhane, Molka Ben; Haddar, Anissa; Ghazala, Imen; Jeddou, Khawla Ben; Helbert, Claire Boisset; Ellouz-Chaabouni, Semia

2017-02-01

In the present work, optimization of hot water extraction, structural characteristics, functional properties, and biological activities of polysaccharides extracted from watermelon rinds (WMRP) were investigated. The physicochemical characteristics and the monosaccharide composition of these polysaccharides were then determined using chemical composition analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). SEM images showed that extracted polysaccharides had a rough surface with many cavities. GC-FID results proved that galactose was the dominant sugar in the extracted polysaccharides, followed by arabinose, glucose, galacturonic acid, rhamnose, mannose, xylose and traces of glucuronic acid. The findings revealed that WMRP displayed excellent antihypertensive and antioxidant activities. Those polysaccharides had also a protection effect against hydroxyl radical-induced DNA damage. Functional properties of extracted polysaccharides were also evaluated. WMRP showed good interfacial dose-dependent proprieties. Overall, the results suggested that WMRP presents a promising natural source of antioxidants and antihypertensive agents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimization of conditions for supercritical fluid extraction of flavonoids from hops (Humulus lupulus L.)*

PubMed Central

He, Guo-qing; Xiong, Hao-ping; Chen, Qi-he; Ruan, Hui; Wang, Zhao-yue; Traoré, Lonseny

2005-01-01

Waste hops are good sources of flavonoids. Extraction of flavonoids from waste hops (SC-CO2 extracted hops) using supercritical fluids technology was investigated. Various temperatures, pressures and concentrations of ethanol (modifier) and the ratio (w/w) of solvent to material were tested in this study. The results of single factor and orthogonal experiments showed that at 50 °C, 25 MPa, the ratio of solvent to material (50%), ethanol concentration (80%) resulted in maximum extraction yield flavonoids (7.8 mg/g). HPLC-MS analysis of the extracts indicated that flavonoids obtained were xanthohumol, the principal prenylflavonoid in hops. PMID:16187413

Plant Growth Biostimulants Based on Different Methods of Seaweed Extraction with Water.

PubMed

Godlewska, Katarzyna; Michalak, Izabela; Tuhy, Łukasz; Chojnacka, Katarzyna

2016-01-01

We explored two methods for obtaining aqueous extracts: boiling and soaking of Baltic seaweeds (EB and ES, resp.). Algal extracts were characterized in terms of polyphenols, micro- and macroelements, lipids content, and antibacterial properties. The utilitarian properties were examined in the germination tests on Lepidium sativum for three extract dilutions (0.5, 2.5, and 10%). It was found that the extracts were similar in micro- and macroelement concentrations. Water was proved to be a good solvent to extract phenolic compounds. The algal extract produced by soaking biomass did not show inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Only the boiled extract had an inhibitory activity against E. coli. Germination tests revealed a positive influence of the bioproducts on the cultivated plants. In the group treated with 10% EB, plants were 13% longer than in the control group; the content of elements B, Mo, Zn, and Na in the group treated with 10% ES was higher by 76%, 48%, 31%, and 59% than in the control group, respectively; the content of chlorophyll was 2.5 times higher in 0.5% ES than in the control group. Extracts showed the slight impact on the morphology of plants.

Plant Growth Biostimulants Based on Different Methods of Seaweed Extraction with Water

PubMed Central

Godlewska, Katarzyna; Tuhy, Łukasz; Chojnacka, Katarzyna

2016-01-01

We explored two methods for obtaining aqueous extracts: boiling and soaking of Baltic seaweeds (EB and ES, resp.). Algal extracts were characterized in terms of polyphenols, micro- and macroelements, lipids content, and antibacterial properties. The utilitarian properties were examined in the germination tests on Lepidium sativum for three extract dilutions (0.5, 2.5, and 10%). It was found that the extracts were similar in micro- and macroelement concentrations. Water was proved to be a good solvent to extract phenolic compounds. The algal extract produced by soaking biomass did not show inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Only the boiled extract had an inhibitory activity against E. coli. Germination tests revealed a positive influence of the bioproducts on the cultivated plants. In the group treated with 10% EB, plants were 13% longer than in the control group; the content of elements B, Mo, Zn, and Na in the group treated with 10% ES was higher by 76%, 48%, 31%, and 59% than in the control group, respectively; the content of chlorophyll was 2.5 times higher in 0.5% ES than in the control group. Extracts showed the slight impact on the morphology of plants. PMID:27366749

Research on Remote Sensing Geological Information Extraction Based on Object Oriented Classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Hui

2018-04-01

The northern Tibet belongs to the Sub cold arid climate zone in the plateau. It is rarely visited by people. The geological working conditions are very poor. However, the stratum exposures are good and human interference is very small. Therefore, the research on the automatic classification and extraction of remote sensing geological information has typical significance and good application prospect. Based on the object-oriented classification in Northern Tibet, using the Worldview2 high-resolution remote sensing data, combined with the tectonic information and image enhancement, the lithological spectral features, shape features, spatial locations and topological relations of various geological information are excavated. By setting the threshold, based on the hierarchical classification, eight kinds of geological information were classified and extracted. Compared with the existing geological maps, the accuracy analysis shows that the overall accuracy reached 87.8561 %, indicating that the classification-oriented method is effective and feasible for this study area and provides a new idea for the automatic extraction of remote sensing geological information.

Inhibition of LDL oxidation and oxidized LDL-induced foam cell formation in RAW 264.7 cells show anti-atherogenic properties of a foliar methanol extract of Scoparia dulcis

PubMed Central

Nambiar, Sinjitha S.; Shetty, Nandini Prasad; Bhatt, Praveena; Neelwarne, Bhagyalakshmi

2014-01-01

Background: Oxidation of low density lipoproteins and their further uptake by macrophages is known to result in the formation of foam cells, which are critical in the initiation of atherosclerosis through activation of inflammatory signalling cascades. Thus, powerful dietary antioxidants are receiving attention for the reversal of such pathological states. Materials and Methods: Extracts of Scoparia dulcis have been used as tea and health drinks with various health promoting effects. In the present study, we examined the reactive oxygen scavenging potential as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic efficacies, using leaf extracts obtained after successive extraction with various solvents. Results: A methanol extract showed potent antioxidant activity with an IC50 value of 570 μg/ml, caused hydrogen peroxide scavenging (28.9 µg/ml) and anti-inflammatory effects by improving human erythrocyte membrane stabilisation (about 86%). The methanol extract also efficiently inhibited lipid peroxidation and oxidation of low density lipoproteins, thus preventing foam cell formation in cultured RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, phytochemical screening of the extracts showed high accumulation of flavonoids. Conclusions: The foliar methanol extract of Scoparia dulcis has a strong anti-atherogenic potential and this property could be attributed maybe due to presence of flavonoids since HPLC analysis showed high concentrations of myricetin and rutin in the methanol extract. PMID:24991098

Antioxidant activity of hydroalcholic extract of Ferula gummosa Boiss roots.

PubMed

Ebrahimzadeh, M A; Nabavi, S M; Nabavi, S F; Dehpour, A A

2011-06-01

Ferula gummosa Boiss is native to central Asia. This plant has traditionally been used in the treatment of many diseases. The antihypoxic and antioxidant activities of Ferula gummosa roots were investigated. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radical (DPPH), nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activities, Fe2+ chelating ability, reducing power and hemoglobin-induced linoleic acid peroxidation were used to evaluate antioxidant activities. Antihemolytic activity was evaluated by H2O2 induced hemolysis in rat erythrocytes. The total amount of phenolic compounds was determined as gallic acid equivalents and total flavonoid contents were calculated as quercetin equivalents from a calibration curve. The extracts showed moderate antioxidant activity in some models. IC50 for DPPH radical-scavenging activity was 579.6 +/- 19.4 microg/ml. The extracts showed weak nitric oxide-scavenging activity between 0.1 and 1.6 mg ml(-1) but showed good Fe2+ chelating ability. IC50 was 895.5 +/- 24.1 microg/ml. The extract also exhibited low antioxidant activity in the linoleic acid model but were capable of scavenging hydrogen peroxide in a concentration dependent manner. Tested extract show moderate activity in H2O2 induced hemolysis in rat erythrocytes which was not comparable with vitamin C. F. gummosa Boiss root showed different level antioxidant and antihemolytic activities. Biological effects may be attributed, at least in part, to the presence of phenols and flavonoids in the extract.

Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction conditions for preparing lignan-rich extract from Saraca asoca bark using Box-Behnken design.

PubMed

Mishra, Shikha; Aeri, Vidhu

2016-07-01

Lyoniside is the major constituent of Saraca asoca Linn. (Caesalpiniaceae) bark. There is an immediate need to develop an efficient method to isolate its chemical constituents, since it is a therapeutically important plant. A rapid extraction method for lyoniside based on microwave-assisted extraction of S. asoca bark was developed and optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Lyoniside was analyzed and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). The extraction solvent ratio (%), material solvent ratio (g/ml) and extraction time (min) were optimized using Box-Behnken design (BBD) to obtain the highest extraction efficiency. The optimal conditions were the use of 1:30 material solvent ratio with 70:30 mixture of methanol:water for 10 min duration. The optimized microwave-assisted extraction yielded 9.4 mg/g of lyoniside content in comparison to reflux extraction under identical conditions which yielded 4.2 mg/g of lyoniside content. Under optimum conditions, the experimental values agreed closely with the predicted values. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated a high goodness-of-fit model and the success of the RSM method for optimizing lyoniside extraction from the bark of S. asoca. All the three variables significantly affected the lyoniside content. Increased polarity of solvent medium enhances the lyoniside yield. The present study shows the applicability of microwave-assisted extraction in extraction of lyoniside from S. asoca bark.

Extraction of linear features on SAR imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Junyi; Li, Deren; Mei, Xin

2006-10-01

Linear features are usually extracted from SAR imagery by a few edge detectors derived from the contrast ratio edge detector with a constant probability of false alarm. On the other hand, the Hough Transform is an elegant way of extracting global features like curve segments from binary edge images. Randomized Hough Transform can reduce the computation time and memory usage of the HT drastically. While Randomized Hough Transform will bring about a great deal of cells invalid during the randomized sample. In this paper, we propose a new approach to extract linear features on SAR imagery, which is an almost automatic algorithm based on edge detection and Randomized Hough Transform. The presented improved method makes full use of the directional information of each edge candidate points so as to solve invalid cumulate problems. Applied result is in good agreement with the theoretical study, and the main linear features on SAR imagery have been extracted automatically. The method saves storage space and computational time, which shows its effectiveness and applicability.

Separation of bioactive chamazulene from chamomile extract using metal-organic framework.

PubMed

Abdelhameed, Reda M; Abdel-Gawad, Hassan; Taha, Mohamed; Hegazi, Bahira

2017-11-30

Isolation of bioactive compounds from extracts of pharmaceutical plant is very important. In this work, copper benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate metal organic framework (Cu-BTC MOF) has been synthesized. It is used in separating of chamazulene from chamomile extract. The Cu-BTC MOF not only shows good chamazulene adsorption but also maintains good desorption properties. However, the research on this field is still new and the maturation of novel MOFs or the enhancements of known ones are required.The chamomile extract obtained after each stage of the treatments was carefully characterized by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-vis spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The morphology and the crystallinity of Cu-BTC MOF were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), respectively. Breakthrough experiments in a column was investigated and the data was fitted with Bohart-Adams model. Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to investigate the preferential adsorption sites of Cu-BTC for chamazulene molecules. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Green synthesis of gold nanoparticles using plant extracts as reducing agents

PubMed Central

Elia, Paz; Zach, Raya; Hazan, Sharon; Kolusheva, Sofiya; Porat, Ze’ev; Zeiri, Yehuda

2014-01-01

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were prepared using four different plant extracts as reducing and stabilizing agents. The extracts were obtained from the following plants: Salvia officinalis, Lippia citriodora, Pelargonium graveolens and Punica granatum. The size distributions of the GNPs were measured using three different methods: dynamic light scattering, nanoparticle-tracking analysis and analysis of scanning electron microscopy images. The three methods yielded similar size distributions. Biocompatibility was examined by correlation of L-cell growth in the presence of different amounts of GNPs. All GNPs showed good biocompatibility and good stability for over 3 weeks. Therefore, they can be used for imaging and drug-delivery applications in the human body. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy was used to view the shapes of the larger GNPs, while infrared spectroscopy was employed to characterize the various functional groups in the organic layer that stabilize the particles. Finally, active ingredients in the plant extract that might be involved in the formation of GNPs are proposed, based on experiments with pure antioxidants that are known to exist in that plant. PMID:25187704

Characterization of some plant extracts by GC-MS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iordache, A.; Culea, M.; Gherman, C.; Cozar, O.

2009-01-01

Different types of herbs often used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industry were extracted and then analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The method validation parameters showed good linearity, precision and recovery for a standard mixture. Herbs from different zones of Romania were studied: melissa (Melissa officinalis), nettle (Urtica dioica, Lamium album), camomile (Matricaria chamomilla). The study was applied for fingerprint chromatograms to characterize the flavors extracted from herb plants of different sources. The identity and quantity of the measured active compounds was correlated with the expected therapeutic effects. The active principles content was determined for the same herb, and different amounts of the active principles were determined for plants of different origin.

[DNA extraction from bones and teeth using AutoMate Express forensic DNA extraction system].

PubMed

Gao, Lin-Lin; Xu, Nian-Lai; Xie, Wei; Ding, Shao-Cheng; Wang, Dong-Jing; Ma, Li-Qin; Li, You-Ying

2013-04-01

To explore a new method in order to extract DNA from bones and teeth automatically. Samples of 33 bones and 15 teeth were acquired by freeze-mill method and manual method, respectively. DNA materials were extracted and quantified from the triturated samples by AutoMate Express forensic DNA extraction system. DNA extraction from bones and teeth were completed in 3 hours using the AutoMate Express forensic DNA extraction system. There was no statistical difference between the two methods in the DNA concentration of bones. Both bones and teeth got the good STR typing by freeze-mill method, and the DNA concentration of teeth was higher than those by manual method. AutoMate Express forensic DNA extraction system is a new method to extract DNA from bones and teeth, which can be applied in forensic practice.

Extraction and characterization of beta-D-glucan from oat for industrial utilization.

PubMed

Ahmad, Asif; Anjum, Faqir Muhammad; Zahoor, Tahir; Nawaz, Haq; Ahmed, Zaheer

2010-04-01

Oat beta-D-glucan is a valuable functional ingredient having numerous industrial, nutritional and health benefits. Its extraction needs careful attention as extraction process may affect the physiochemical and functional properties of extracted beta-D-glucan. The present study aimed at analyzing the effect of extraction of beta-D-glucan gum pellets from oat cultivar followed by detailed chemical and functional analysis. Enzymatic extraction process resulted in highest yield and recovery. Chemical analysis revealed protein as a dominating impurity. The water binding capacity of the beta-D-glucan ranged between 3.14 and 4.52 g g(-1) of sample. beta-D-Glucan exhibited ideal foaming stability when appropriate extraction technique was used. The viscosity of beta-D-glucan gum ranged between 35.6 and 56.16 cp. The color analysis showed L* value of beta-D-glucan gum pellet ranged between 72.18 and 83.54. Phosphorus, potassium and calcium appeared as major minerals in beta-D-glucan gum whereas iron, manganese and copper appeared as minor minerals. FTIR spectroscopy also confirms the presence of beta-D-glucan, protein and other components in extracted beta-D-glucan gum pellets. Overall, extracted beta-D-glucan showed a good potential for industrial usage. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Methanol extract of grain dust shows complement fixing activity and other characteristics similar to tannic acid.

PubMed Central

Skea, D; Broder, I

1986-01-01

We have found several similarities between tannic acid and grain dust extract prepared with methanol. Both formed a precipitate with IgG, and these interactions were inhibited by albumin. In addition, both preparations fixed complement; this activity was heat stable and was removed by prior adsorption of the preparations with hide powder. Adsorption with polyvinyl polypyrrolidone reduced the complement-fixing activity of tannic acid but not that of the methanol grain dust extract. The similarities between tannic acid and the methanol grain dust extract are consistent with the presence of a tannin or tanninlike material in grain dust. Images FIGURE 1. PMID:3709479

Electronic simulation of the supported liquid membrane in electromembrane extraction systems: Improvement of the extraction by precise periodical reversing of the field polarity.

PubMed

Moazami, Hamid Reza; Nojavan, Saeed; Zahedi, Pegah; Davarani, Saied Saeed Hosseiny

2014-09-02

In order to understand the limitations of electromebrane extraction procedure better, a simple equivalent circuit has been proposed for a supported liquid membrane consisting of a resistor and a low leakage capacitor in series. To verify the equivalent circuit, it was subjected to a simulated periodical polarity changing potential and the resulting time variation of the current was compared with that of a real electromembrane extraction system. The results showed a good agreement between the simulated current patterns and those of the real ones. In order to investigate the impact of various limiting factors, the corresponding values of the equivalent circuit were estimated for a real electromembrane extraction system and were attributed to the physical parameters of the extraction system. A dual charge transfer mechanism was proposed for electromembrane extraction by combining general migration equation and fundamental aspects derived from the simulation. Dual mechanism comprises a current dependent contribution of analyte in total current and could support the possibility of an improvement in performance of an electromembrane extraction by application of an asymmetric polarity changing potential. The optimization of frequency and duty cycle of the asymmetric polarity exchanging potential resulted in a higher recovery (2.17 times greater) in comparison with the conventional electromebrane extraction. The simulation also provided more quantitative approaches toward the investigation of the mechanism of extraction and contribution of different limiting factors in electromembrane extraction. Results showed that the buildup of the double layer is the main limiting factor and the Joule heating has lesser impact on the performance of an electromebrane extraction system. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of monodispersed silver nanoparticles using Hibiscus cannabinus leaf extract and its antimicrobial activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bindhu, M. R.; Umadevi, M.

2013-01-01

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using leaf extract of Hibiscus cannabinus has been investigated. The influences of different concentration of H. cannabinus leaf extract, different metal ion concentration and different reaction time on the above cases on the synthesis of nanoparticles were evaluated. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The prepared silver nanoparticles were monodispersed, spherical in shape with the average particle size of 9 nm and shows surface plasmon peak at 446 nm. The study also reveals that the ascorbic acid present in H. cannabinus leaf extract has been used as reducing agent. The prepared silver nanoparticle shows good antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Shigella flexneri.

Phenolic Extracts from Wild Olive Leaves and Their Potential as Edible Oils Antioxidants

PubMed Central

Lafka, Theodora-Ioanna; Lazou, Andriana E.; Sinanoglou, Vassilia J.; Lazos, Evangelos S.

2013-01-01

The kinetics solid-liquid extraction of phenolics from wild olive leaves was elaborated using different mathematical models (Peleg, second order, Elovich, and power law model). As solvents, methanol, ethanol, ethanol:water 1:1, n-propanol, isopropanol and ethyl acetate were used. The second order model best described the solvent extraction process, followed by the Elovich model. The most effective solvent was ethanol with optimum phenol extraction conditions 180 min, solvent to sample ratio 5:1 v/w and pH 2. Ethanol extract exhibited the highest antiradical activity among solvent and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) extracts, which in addition showed the highest antioxidant capacity compared to synthetic and natural food antioxidants such as BHT, ascorbyl palmitate and vitamin E. Antioxidant potential of SFE extract was quite high, although its phenolic potential was not. Leaf extracts were proven to be good protectors for olive and sunflower oils at levels of 150 ppm. PMID:28239093

A new method for stable lead isotope extraction from seawater.

PubMed

Zurbrick, Cheryl M; Gallon, Céline; Flegal, A Russell

2013-10-24

A new technique for stable lead (Pb) isotope extraction from seawater is established using Toyopearl AF-Chelate 650M(®) resin (Tosoh Bioscience LLC). This new method is advantageous because it is semi-automated and relatively fast; in addition it introduces a relatively low blank by minimizing the volume of chemicals used in the extraction. Subsequent analyses by HR ICP-MS have a good relative external precision (2σ) of 3.5‰ for (206)Pb/(207)Pb, while analyses by MC-ICP-MS have a better relative external precision of 0.6‰. However, Pb sample concentrations limit MC-ICP-MS analyses to (206)Pb, (207)Pb, and (208)Pb. The method was validated by processing the common Pb isotope reference material NIST SRM-981 and several GEOTRACES intercalibration samples, followed by analyses by HR ICP-MS, all of which showed good agreement with previously reported values. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A novel key-frame extraction approach for both video summary and video index.

PubMed

Lei, Shaoshuai; Xie, Gang; Yan, Gaowei

2014-01-01

Existing key-frame extraction methods are basically video summary oriented; yet the index task of key-frames is ignored. This paper presents a novel key-frame extraction approach which can be available for both video summary and video index. First a dynamic distance separability algorithm is advanced to divide a shot into subshots based on semantic structure, and then appropriate key-frames are extracted in each subshot by SVD decomposition. Finally, three evaluation indicators are proposed to evaluate the performance of the new approach. Experimental results show that the proposed approach achieves good semantic structure for semantics-based video index and meanwhile produces video summary consistent with human perception.

Bioprospecting of antimicrobial activity of extracts of endophytic fungi from Bauhinia guianensis.

PubMed

Pinheiro, Eduardo A A; Pina, Jeferson R S; Feitosa, André O; Carvalho, Josiwander M; Borges, Fábio C; Marinho, Patrícia S B; Marinho, Andrey M R

Antibiotic resistance results in higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays and increased mortality and is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world. Therefore, this study aims to search for new antimicrobial agents through bioprospecting of extracts of endophytic fungi from Bauhinia guianensis, a typical Amazonian plant used in combating infections. Seventeen (17) fungi were isolated and as result the methanolic extract of the fungus Exserohilum rostratum showed good activity against the bacteria tested. The polyketide monocerin was isolated by the chromatographic technique, identified by NMR and MS, showing broad antimicrobial spectrum. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Antioxidant, antibacterial and antiproliferative activities of pumpkin (cucurbit) peel and puree extracts - an in vitro study.

PubMed

Asif, Muhammad; Naqvi, Syed Ali Raza; Sherazi, Tauqir A; Ahmad, Matloob; Zahoor, Ameer Fawad; Shahzad, Sohail Anjum; Hussain, Zaib; Mahmood, Hassan; Mahmood, Nasir

2017-07-01

Natural resources right from the beginning of the human civilization has paved the way to human being to combat different challenges. The big challenge was to safe the human being from diseases and shortage of food. Plants helped the man in both areas very efficiently. No doubt when plants are used as food actually we are also taking lot of compounds of medicinal values in an excellent combination which naturally reduce the risk of diseases. Extraction and purification of several medicinally important compounds also gave the way to develop pharmaceutical industry in addition to its own therapeutic effects against different lethal diseases. Pumpkin is one of the several medicinal important vegetables used in different way on the behalf of its admirable power to combat different diseases. Antioxidant and biological studies showed very important results. A good coherence was found among extraction yield (10.52 to 18.45%), total phenolics (1.13 to 6.78 mg GAE/100g), total flavonoids (0.23 to 0.72mg CE/100g) and antioxidant potential (≻70%). Antibacterial assays of peel and puree extracts advocated good potential to stop the growth and division of pathogenic bacteria. Further biological activity study was carried out using MDBK cancer cell line. The growth inhibitory effect on cancer cell line using MTT assay showed methanol extracts of peel and puree both remained efficient to inhibit growth (≻35%) and cell division of cancer cells. Our results showed that extracts of pumpkin puree and its waste, peel, may be utilize to prepare functional food against pathogenic born diseases and most active compounds may also be extracted, concentrated and converted into tablets or suspension form for therapeutic purposes.

Differentiated Evaluation of Extract-Specific Evidence on Cimicifuga racemosa's Efficacy and Safety for Climacteric Complaints

PubMed Central

Beer, A.-M.; Neff, A.

2013-01-01

Past reviews on Cimicifuga racemosa (CR) without differentiation between extracts, quality, and indication altogether led to inconsistent data. Therefore, for the first time, we meet the requirements of the system's logic of evidence-based phytotherapy by taking into consideration extracts, pharmaceutical quality (reflected in a regulatory status as medicinal product), and indication. A literature search for clinical studies examining CR's efficacy and safety for menopausal complaints was conducted. The results were sorted by type of extract, regulatory status, and indication. Accordingly, Oxford Levels of Evidence (LOE) and Grades of Recommendation (GR) were determined. CR extracts demonstrated a good to very good safety in general, on estrogen-sensitive organs and the liver. However, only registered CR medicinal products were able to prove their efficacy. Best evidence was provided by the isopropanolic CR extract (iCR): the multitude of studies including more than 11,000 patients demonstrated consistent confirmatory evidence of LOE 1b (LOE 1a for safety) leading to GR A. The studies on the ethanolic extract BNO 1055 including more than 500 patients showed exploratory evidence of LOE 2b resulting in GR B. A positive benefit-risk profile is stated and limited to Cimicifuga racemosa products holding a marketing authorisation for treating climacteric complaints. PMID:24062793

Differentiated Evaluation of Extract-Specific Evidence on Cimicifuga racemosa's Efficacy and Safety for Climacteric Complaints.

PubMed

Beer, A-M; Neff, A

2013-01-01

Past reviews on Cimicifuga racemosa (CR) without differentiation between extracts, quality, and indication altogether led to inconsistent data. Therefore, for the first time, we meet the requirements of the system's logic of evidence-based phytotherapy by taking into consideration extracts, pharmaceutical quality (reflected in a regulatory status as medicinal product), and indication. A literature search for clinical studies examining CR's efficacy and safety for menopausal complaints was conducted. The results were sorted by type of extract, regulatory status, and indication. Accordingly, Oxford Levels of Evidence (LOE) and Grades of Recommendation (GR) were determined. CR extracts demonstrated a good to very good safety in general, on estrogen-sensitive organs and the liver. However, only registered CR medicinal products were able to prove their efficacy. Best evidence was provided by the isopropanolic CR extract (iCR): the multitude of studies including more than 11,000 patients demonstrated consistent confirmatory evidence of LOE 1b (LOE 1a for safety) leading to GR A. The studies on the ethanolic extract BNO 1055 including more than 500 patients showed exploratory evidence of LOE 2b resulting in GR B. A positive benefit-risk profile is stated and limited to Cimicifuga racemosa products holding a marketing authorisation for treating climacteric complaints.

Nanofiltration for concentration of roasted coffee extract: From bench to pilot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dat, Lai Quoc; Quyen, Nguyen Thi Ngoc

2017-09-01

This paper focused on the application of nanofiltration (NF) for concentration of the roasted coffee extract in instant coffee processing. Three kinds of NF membranes were screened for separation capacity of total dry solid (TDS), polyphenols (PPs) and caffeine in roasted coffee extract and NF99 membrane showed the good performance for the NF of the extract. The crossflow NF with NF99 membrane at pilot scale was investigated for technical assessment of concentration of roasted coffee extract. Maximum theoretical concentration was estimated as 6.06. Recovery yields of TDS, PPs and caffeine were higher than 70% at 4.4 of concentration factor. The content of TDS in accumulative permeate was lower than 2.0 g/L. The fouling of NF was also solved by the suitable cleaning procedure with recovery index being 97.7%. Results of research indicate that it is feasible to apply NF for concentration of the roasted coffee extract in instant coffee production.

Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Mimusops elengi seed extract mediated isotropic silver nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiran Kumar, Hoskote Anand; Mandal, Badal Kumar; Mohan Kumar, Kesarla; Maddinedi, Sireesh babu; Sai Kumar, Tammina; Madhiyazhagan, Pavithra; Ghosh, Asit Ranjan

2014-09-01

The present study reports the use of Mimusops elengi (M. elengi) fruit extract for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). The synthesized Ag NPs was initially noticed through visual color change from yellow to reddish brown and further confirmed by surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) band at 429 nm using UV-Visible spectroscopy. Morphology and size of Ag NPs was determined by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) study revealed crystalline nature of Ag NPs. The prolonged stability of Ag NPs was due to capping of oxidized polyphenols which was established by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) study. The polyphenols present in M. elengi fruit extract was analyzed by High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and the results revealed the presence of ascorbic acid, gallic acid, pyrogallol and resorcinol. In order to study the role of these polyphenols in reducing Ag+ ions to Ag NPs, analyses of extracts before reduction and after reduction were carried out. In addition, the synthesized Ag NPs were tested for antibacterial and antioxidant activities against Staphylococcus aureus (S. Aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). Ag NPs showed good antimicrobial activity against both gram positive (S. aureus) and gram negative (E. coli) bacteria. It also showed good antioxidant activity as compared to ascorbic acid as standard antioxidant.

Defining the Good Reading Teacher.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kupersmith, Judy; And Others

In the quest for a definition of the good reading teacher, a review of the literature shows that new or copious materials, one specific teaching method, and static teaching behaviors are not responsible for effective teaching. However, observations of five reading teachers, with good references and good reputations but with widely divergent…

Subcritical water extraction of alkaloids in Sophora flavescens Ait. and determination by capillary electrophoresis with field-amplified sample stacking.

PubMed

Wang, Haiyan; Lu, Yuchao; Chen, Jie; Li, Junchao; Liu, Shuhui

2012-01-25

The extraction and determination of cytisine, sophocarpine, matrine, sophoridine and oxymatrine in Sophora flavescens Ait. were performed using subcritical water extraction and capillary electrophoresis with field-amplified sample stacking. The effects of extraction temperature, pressure, time and cycle number on the extraction yields were investigated systematically for accelerated solvent extraction with ethanol (ASE) and accelerated solvent extraction with water (subcritical water extraction, SWE). The extraction yields obtained using SWE, ASE, water ultrasonic extraction and chloroform soaking extraction methods were compared. The electrophoresis separation buffer was monosodium phosphate (pH 3.0; 110 mM)-isopropanol (85:15, v/v). The effect of phosphoric acid added to the sample matrix on the reproducibility of the peak heights of the analytes was also examined. Cytisine, sophoridine and oxymatrine showed good linearity (R(2)>0.999) within 0.125-4.0 μg/mL, and sophocarpine and matrine exhibited good linearity (R(2)>0.998) within 0.0625-2.0 μg/mL, with the detection limits in the range of 0.004-0.0013 μg/mL. The five alkaloid contents in medicinal plants from different sources and Sophora instant granule were determined and compared. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of monodispersed silver nanoparticles using Hibiscus cannabinus leaf extract and its antimicrobial activity.

PubMed

Bindhu, M R; Umadevi, M

2013-01-15

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using leaf extract of Hibiscus cannabinus has been investigated. The influences of different concentration of H. cannabinus leaf extract, different metal ion concentration and different reaction time on the above cases on the synthesis of nanoparticles were evaluated. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The prepared silver nanoparticles were monodispersed, spherical in shape with the average particle size of 9 nm and shows surface plasmon peak at 446 nm. The study also reveals that the ascorbic acid present in H. cannabinus leaf extract has been used as reducing agent. The prepared silver nanoparticle shows good antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Shigella flexneri. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Music video shot segmentation using independent component analysis and keyframe extraction based on image complexity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wei; Chen, Ting; Zhang, Wenjun; Shi, Yunyu; Li, Jun

2012-04-01

In recent years, Music video data is increasing at an astonishing speed. Shot segmentation and keyframe extraction constitute a fundamental unit in organizing, indexing, retrieving video content. In this paper a unified framework is proposed to detect the shot boundaries and extract the keyframe of a shot. Music video is first segmented to shots by illumination-invariant chromaticity histogram in independent component (IC) analysis feature space .Then we presents a new metric, image complexity, to extract keyframe in a shot which is computed by ICs. Experimental results show the framework is effective and has a good performance.

Polypyrrole-magnetite dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction combined with ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry for the determination of rhodamine 6G and crystal violet in textile wastewater.

PubMed

Kamaruddin, Amirah Farhan; Sanagi, Mohd Marsin; Wan Ibrahim, Wan Aini; Md Shukri, Dyia S; Abdul Keyon, Aemi S

2017-11-01

Polypyrrole-magnetite dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction method combined with ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry was developed for the determination of selected cationic dyes in textile wastewater. Polypyrrole-magnetite was used as adsorbent due to its thermal stability, magnetic properties, and ability to adsorb Rhodamine 6G and crystal violet. Dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction parameters were optimized, including sample pH, adsorbent amount, extraction time, and desorption solvent. The optimum polypyrrole-magnetite dispersive micro-solid phase-extraction conditions were sample pH 8, 60 mg polypyrrole-magnetite adsorbent, 5 min of extraction time, and acetonitrile as the desorption solvent. Under the optimized conditions, the polypyrrole-magnetite dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction with ultraviolet-visible method showed good linearity in the range of 0.05-7 mg/L (R 2  > 0.9980). The method also showed a good limit of detection for the dyes (0.05 mg/L) and good analyte recoveries (97.4-111.3%) with relative standard deviations < 10%. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of dyes in textile wastewater samples where the concentration found was 1.03 mg (RSD ±7.9%) and 1.13 mg/L (RSD ± 4.6%) for Rhodamine 6G and crystal violet, respectively. It can be concluded that this method can be adopted for the rapid extraction and determination of dyes at trace concentration levels. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Direct preparation of a graphene oxide modified monolith in a glass syringe as a solid-phase extraction cartridge for the extraction of quaternary ammonium alkaloids from Chinese patent medicine.

PubMed

Liang, Xiaojing; Wang, Licheng; Wang, Shuai; Li, Yijing; Guo, Yong

2017-11-01

Packed cartridges have been widely used in solid-phase extraction. However, there are still some drawbacks, such as they are blocked easily and the method is time-consuming. In view of the advantages of monoliths, a monolithic extraction material has been directly synthesized in a glass syringe without any gap between the monolith and syringe inner wall. The monolithic syringe was modified with graphene oxide by loading graphene oxide dispersion onto it. The content of graphene oxide and the surface topography of the monolith have been evaluated by elemental analysis and scanning electron microscopy, respectively, which confirmed the successful modification. This prepared graphene oxide-modified monolithic syringe was directly used as a traditional solid-phase extraction cartridge. As expected, it shows good permeability and excellent capability for the extraction of quaternary ammonium alkaloids. The sample loading velocity (1-6 mL/min) does not affect the recovery. Under the optimal conditions, good linearities (R = 0.9992-0.9998) were obtained for five quaternary ammonium alkaloids, and the limits of detection and quantification were 0.5-1 and 1-2 μg/L, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied for the analysis of quaternary ammonium alkaloids in Chinese patent medicine. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Agarose-chitosan-C18 film micro-solid phase extraction combined with high performance liquid chromatography for the determination of phenanthrene and pyrene in chrysanthemum tea samples.

PubMed

Ng, Nyuk Ting; Sanagi, Mohd Marsin; Wan Ibrahim, Wan Nazihah; Wan Ibrahim, Wan Aini

2017-05-01

Agarose-chitosan-immobilized octadecylsilyl-silica (C 18 ) film micro-solid phase extraction (μSPE) was developed and applied for the determination of phenanthrene (PHE) and pyrene (PYR) in chrysanthemum tea samples using high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). The film of blended agarose and chitosan allows good dispersion of C 18 , prevents the leaching of C 18 during application and enhances the film mechanical stability. Important μSPE parameters were optimized including amount of sorbent loading, extraction time, desorption solvent and desorption time. The matrix match calibration curves showed good linearity (r⩾0.994) over a concentration range of 1-500ppb. Under the optimized conditions, the proposed method showed good limits of detection (0.549-0.673ppb), good analyte recoveries (100.8-105.99%) and good reproducibilities (RSDs⩽13.53%, n=3) with preconcentration factors of 4 and 72 for PHE and PYR, respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activities of Citrus Water-Extracts Obtained by Microwave-Assisted and Conventional Methods.

PubMed

Caputo, Leonardo; Quintieri, Laura; Cavalluzzi, Maria Maddalena; Lentini, Giovanni; Habtemariam, Solomon

2018-06-17

Citrus pomace is a huge agro-food industrial waste mostly composed of peels and traditionally used as compost or animal feed. Owing to its high content of compounds beneficial to humans (e.g., flavonoids, phenol-like acids, and terpenoids), citrus waste is increasingly used to produce valuable supplements, fragrance, or antimicrobials. However, such processes require sustainable and efficient extraction strategies by solvent-free techniques for environmentally-friendly good practices. In this work, we evaluated the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of water extracts of three citrus peels (orange, lemon, and citron) against ten different sanitary relevant bacteria. Both conventional extraction methods using hot water (HWE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) were used. Even though no extract fully inhibited the growth of the target bacteria, these latter (mostly pseudomonads) showed a significant reduction in biofilm biomass. The most active extracts were obtained from orange and lemon peel by using MAE at 100 °C for 8 min. These results showed that citrus peel water infusions by MAE may reduce biofilm formation possibly enhancing the susceptibility of sanitary-related bacteria to disinfection procedures.

Development of an improved sample preparation platform for acidic endogenous hormones in plant tissues using electromembrane extraction.

PubMed

Suh, Joon Hyuk; Han, Sang Beom; Wang, Yu

2018-02-02

Despite their importance in pivotal signaling pathways due to trace quantities and complex matrices, the analysis of plant hormones is a challenge. Here, to improve this issue, we present an electromembrane extraction technology combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for determination of acidic plant hormones including jasmonic acid, abscisic acid, salicylic acid, benzoic acid, gibberellic acid and gibberellin A 4 in plant tissues. Factors influencing extraction efficiency, such as voltage, extraction time and stirring rate were optimized using a design of experiments. Analytical performance was evaluated in terms of specificity, linearity, limit of quantification, precision, accuracy, recovery and repeatability. The results showed good linearity (r 2  > 0.995), precision and acceptable accuracy. The limit of quantification ranged from 0.1 to 10 ng mL -1 , and the recoveries were 34.6-50.3%. The developed method was applied in citrus leaf samples, showing better clean-up efficiency, as well as higher sensitivity compared to a previous method using liquid-liquid extraction. Organic solvent consumption was minimized during the process, making it an appealing method. More noteworthy, electromembrane extraction has been scarcely applied to plant tissues, and this is the first time that major plant hormones were extracted using this technology, with high sensitivity and selectivity. Taken together, this work gives not only a novel sample preparation platform using an electric field for plant hormones, but also a good example of extracting complex plant tissues in a simple and effective way. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Selective isolation of gonyautoxins 1,4 from the dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum based on molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction.

PubMed

Lian, Ziru; Wang, Jiangtao

2017-09-15

Gonyautoxins 1,4 (GTX1,4) from Alexandrium minutum samples were isolated selectively and recognized specifically by an innovative and effective extraction procedure based on molecular imprinting technology. Novel molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres (MIPMs) were prepared by double-templated imprinting strategy using caffeine and pentoxifylline as dummy templates. The synthesized polymers displayed good affinity to GTX1,4 and were applied as sorbents. Further, an off-line molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) protocol was optimized and an effective approach based on the MISPE coupled with HPLC-FLD was developed for selective isolation of GTX1,4 from the cultured A. minutum samples. The separation method showed good extraction efficiency (73.2-81.5%) for GTX1,4 and efficient removal of interferences matrices was also achieved after the MISPE process for the microalgal samples. The outcome demonstrated the superiority and great potential of the MISPE procedure for direct separation of GTX1,4 from marine microalgal extracts. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Cosmetic formulations containing Lithospermum erythrorhizon root extract show moisturizing effects on human skin.

PubMed

Chang, Man-Jau; Huang, Huey-Chun; Chang, Hsien-Cheh; Chang, Tsong-Min

2008-07-01

Retention of water in the stratum corneum of skin epidermis plays an important role in regulation of skin function. Loss of water may decline skin appearance gradually and lead to irregular skin disorders. The root extract of Lithospermum erythrorhizon (LES) is known for its various pharmacological activities. However, the potential skin care effect of LES is not clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the moisturizing efficacy and skin barrier repairing activity of LES. For this study, 30 healthy Asian females (age 20-30) with healthy skin had applied the test emulsions twice daily over a period of 28 days. The skin properties were measured by skin bioengineering techniques. Our preliminary results indicated that LES show moisturizing effect on skin hydration in a time- and dose-dependent pattern, and the maximum increase in skin humidity was 11.77 +/- 1.18% for emulsion LES5.00. Particularly, LES-containing emulsions significantly improve skin barrier function by decreasing the value of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) in a time- and dose-dependent pattern, and the maximum decrease in TEWL value was 7.68 +/- 0.79% for emulsion LES5.00. Taken together, our data demonstrate that LES is more effective in increasing skin humidity and decreasing the TEWL values, indicating the potential skin care effects of LES.

Pulsed counter-current ultrasound-assisted extraction and characterization of polysaccharides from Boletus edulis.

PubMed

You, Qinghong; Yin, Xiulian; Ji, Chaowen

2014-01-30

Four methods for extracting polysaccharides from Boletus edulis, namely, hot-water extraction, ultrasonic clearer extraction, static probe ultrasonic extraction, and pulsed counter-current probe ultrasonic extraction (CCPUE), were studied. Results showed that CCPUE has the highest extraction efficiency among the methods studied. Under optimal CCPUE conditions, a B. edulis polysaccharide (BEP) yield of 8.21% was obtained. Three purified fractions, BEP-I, BEP-II, and BEP-III, were obtained through sequential purification by DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-75 chromatography. The average molecular weights of BEP-I, BEP-II, and BEP-III were 10,278, 23,761, and 42,736 Da, respectively. The polysaccharides were mainly composed of xylose, mannose, galactose, and glucose; of these, mannose contents were the highest. The antioxidant activities of the BEPs were further investigated by measurement of their ability to scavenge DPPH and hydroxyl radicals as well as their reducing power. The results indicated that the BEPs have good antioxidant activity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mathematical modelling for extraction of oil from Dracocephalum kotschyi seeds in supercritical carbon dioxide.

PubMed

Sodeifian, Gholamhossein; Sajadian, Seyed Ali; Honarvar, Bizhan

2018-04-01

Extraction of oil from Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss seeds using supercritical carbon dioxide was designed using central composite design to evaluate the effect of various operating parameters including pressure, temperature, particle size and extraction time on the oil yield. Maximum extraction yield predicted from response surface method was 71.53% under the process conditions with pressure of 220 bar, temperature of 35 °C, particle diameter of 0.61 mm and extraction time of 130 min. Furthermore, broken and intact cells model was utilised to consider mass transfer kinetics of extracted natural materials. The results revealed that the model had a good agreement with the experimental data. The oil samples obtained via supercritical and solvent extraction methods were analysed by gas chromatography. The most abundant acid was linolenic acid. The results analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the fatty acid contents of the oils obtained by the supercritical and solvent extraction techniques.

Long-term purification efficiency of a wetland constructed to treat runoff from peat extraction.

PubMed

Karjalainen, Satu M; Heikkinen, Kaisa; Ihme, Raimo; Kløve, Bjørn

2016-01-01

Peat extraction increases the phosphorus, nitrogen, organic matter, suspended solids, and iron concentrations in runoff, resulting in negative effects on downstream water bodies. Wetlands are commonly used as natural cost-effective solutions to mitigate these negative effects. This study analyzed changes in the quality of runoff water from peat extraction areas and the long-term efficiency of constructed wetlands. The results indicate that the quality of runoff water changed after the initial drainage and during peat extraction. Nitrogen leached at high concentrations in the early stages of peat extraction following drainage, whereas the leaching of iron and phosphorus increased after peat extraction from deeper layers. Comparison of water quality and impurities retained immediately after treatment wetland construction and 14 years later showed that the treatment wetland remained functional, with good retention capacity, over a long period.

The optimal extracting process, manufacturing technique and biological evaluation of Lithospermum erythrorhizon microcapsules.

PubMed

Lou, Ching-Wen; Chang, Chiung-Yun; Wu, Zong-Han; Lin, Jia-Horng

2015-03-01

Lithospermum erythrorhizon has been proved to be anti-inflammatory, by recent studies. This study extracts L. erythrorhizon with ethanol at various solid-liquid ratios (1:4, 1:6, 1:8, and 1:12), extraction temperatures (40°C, 50°C, and 60°C), and extraction times (4, 24 and 36h) in order to determine the optimal parameters. The optimal parameters are extracted and condensed into L. erythrorhizon extract; then the antibacterial property and cell compatibility of L. erythrorhizon extract are evaluated with various concentrations of L. erythrorhizon extract solution and different weights of L. erythrorhizon extract powder, respectively. The concentrations of solution are 0.1mg/ml, 0.5mg/ml, 1.0mg/ml, and 2.0mg/ml and ethanol is chosen as the solvent, and different weights of powder are varied as 0.1mg, 1.0mg, 2.0mg, and 10mg. The cell viability test and animal study are performed on L. erythrorhizon microcapsules. The experiment results show that sodium alginate/pectin L. erythrorhizon (SPL) microcapsules possess a 120-hour drug release. The results of cell viability and animal study show that the L. erythrorhizon microcapsules (SPL) have good cell viability (99%) and can help in the wound healing process (the wound size reduction reaches 91.3% on Day 11). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characteristic extraction and matching algorithms of ballistic missile in near-space by hyperspectral image analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Li; Sheng, Wen; Liu, Shihua; Zhang, Xianzhi

2014-10-01

The ballistic missile hyperspectral data of imaging spectrometer from the near-space platform are generated by numerical method. The characteristic of the ballistic missile hyperspectral data is extracted and matched based on two different kinds of algorithms, which called transverse counting and quantization coding, respectively. The simulation results show that two algorithms extract the characteristic of ballistic missile adequately and accurately. The algorithm based on the transverse counting has the low complexity and can be implemented easily compared to the algorithm based on the quantization coding does. The transverse counting algorithm also shows the good immunity to the disturbance signals and speed up the matching and recognition of subsequent targets.

Extraction of cellulose from pistachio shell and physical and mechanical characterisation of cellulose-based nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Movva, Mounika; Kommineni, Ravindra

2017-04-01

Cellulose is an important nanoentity that have been used for the preparation of composites. The present work focuses on the extraction of cellulose from pistachio shell and preparing a partially degradable nanocomposite with extracted cellulose. Physical and microstructural characteristics of nanocellulose extracted from pistachio shell powder (PSP) through various stages of chemical treatment are identified from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Later, characterized nanocellulose is reinforced in a polyester matrix to fabricate nanocellulose-based composites according to the ASTM standard. The resulting nanocellulose composite performance is evaluated in the mechanical perspective through tensile and flexural loading. SEM, FTIR, and XRD showed that the process for extraction is efficient in obtaining 95% crystalline cellulose. Cellulose also showed good thermal stability with a peak thermal degradation temperature of 361 °C. Such cellulose when reinforced in a matrix material showed a noteworthy rise in tensile and flexural strengths of 43 MPa and 127 MPa, at a definite weight percent of 5%.

Agaricus blazei hot water extract shows anti quorum sensing activity in the nosocomial human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

PubMed

Soković, Marina; Ćirić, Ana; Glamočlija, Jasmina; Nikolić, Miloš; van Griensven, Leo J L D

2014-04-03

The edible mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill is known to induce protective immunomodulatory action against a variety of infectious diseases. In the present study we report potential anti-quorum sensing properties of A. blazei hot water extract. Quorum sensing (QS) plays an important role in virulence, biofilm formation and survival of many pathogenic bacteria, including the Gram negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and is considered as a novel and promising target for anti-infectious agents. In this study, the effect of the sub-MICs of Agaricus blazei water extract on QS regulated virulence factors and biofilm formation was evaluated against P. aeruginosa PAO1. Sub-MIC concentrations of the extract which did not kill P. aeruginosa nor inhibited its growth, demonstrated a statistically significant reduction of virulence factors of P. aeruginosa, such as pyocyanin production, twitching and swimming motility. The biofilm forming capability of P. aeruginosa was also reduced in a concentration-dependent manner at sub-MIC values. Water extract of A. blazei is a promising source of antiquorum sensing and antibacterial compounds.

Antimicrobial activity of aqueous extract of leaf and stem extract of Santalum album

PubMed Central

Kumar, M. Giriram; Jeyraaj, Indira A.; Jeyaraaj, R.; Loganathan, P.

2006-01-01

The antimicrobial activity of aqueous extract leaf and stem of Santalum album was performed against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas. S. album leaf extract showed inhibition to E.coli (0.8mm), Staphylococcus aureus (1.0mm) and Pseudomonas (1.4mm) were as stem extract showed inhibition on E.coli (0.6mm), Staphylococcus aureus (0.4mm) and seudomonas (1.0mm) respectively. However leaf extract showed significantly higher inhibition when compared to stem extract. This might be due to presence of higher amount of secondary metabolites in the aqueous leaf extract. PMID:22557199

Syzygium aqueum: A Polyphenol- Rich Leaf Extract Exhibits Antioxidant, Hepatoprotective, Pain-Killing and Anti-inflammatory Activities in Animal Models

PubMed Central

Sobeh, Mansour; Mahmoud, Mona F.; Petruk, Ganna; Rezq, Samar; Ashour, Mohamed L.; Youssef, Fadia S.; El-Shazly, Assem M.; Monti, Daria M.; Abdel-Naim, Ashraf B.; Wink, Michael

2018-01-01

Syzygium aqueum is widely used in folk medicine. A polyphenol-rich extract from its leaves demonstrated a plethora of substantial pharmacological properties. The extract showed solid antioxidant properties in vitro and protected human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) against UVA damage. The extract also reduced the elevated levels of ALT, AST, total bilirubin (TB), total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) in rats with acute CCl4 intoxication. In addition to reducing the high MDA level, the extract noticeably restored GSH and SOD to the normal control levels in liver tissue homogenates and counteracted the deleterious histopathologic changes in liver after CCl4 injection. Additionally, the extract exhibited promising anti-inflammatory activities in vitro where it inhibited LOX, COX-1, and COX-2 with a higher COX-2 selectivity than that of indomethacin and diclofenac and reduced the extent of lysis of erythrocytes upon incubation with hypotonic buffer solution. S. aqueum extract also markedly reduced leukocyte numbers with similar activities to diclofenac in rats challenged with carrageenan. Additionally, administration of the extract abolished writhes induced by acetic acid in mice and prolonged the response latency in hot plate test. Meanwhile, the identified polyphenolics from the extract showed a certain affinity for the active pockets of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) explaining the observed anti-inflammatory activities. Finally, 87 secondary metabolites (mostly phenolics) were tentatively identified in the extract based on LC-MS/MS analyses. Syzygium aqueum displays good protection against oxidative stress, free radicals, and could be a good candidate for treating oxidative stress related diseases. PMID:29922158

Preparation of stir bars for sorptive extraction using sol-gel technology.

PubMed

Liu, Wenmin; Wang, Hanwen; Guan, Yafeng

2004-08-06

A sol-gel coating method for the preparation of extractive phase on bars used in sorptive microextraction is described. The extraction phase of poly(dimethylsiloxane) is partially crosslinked with the sol-gel network, and the most part is physically incorporated in the network. Three aging steps at different temperatures are applied to complete the crosslinking process. Thirty-micrometer-thick coating layer is obtained by one coating process. The improved coating shows good thermal stability up to 300 degrees C. Spiked aqueous samples containing n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organophosphorus pesticides were analyzed by using the sorptive bars and GC. The results demonstrate that it is suitable for both aploar and polar analytes. The detection limit for chrysene is 7.44 ng/L, 0.74 ng/L for C19 and 0.9 ng/L for phorate. The extraction equilibration can be reached in less than 15 min by supersonic extraction with the bars of 30 microm coating layer.

Anti-bacterial, free radical scavenging activity and cytotoxicity of acetone extracts of Grewia flava.

PubMed

Lamola, Stella Makgabo; Dzoyem, Jean Paul; Botha, Francien; van Wyk, Candice

2017-09-01

Bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) cause vomiting, diarrhoea and even systemic disease. There is a need for the development of natural products into alternative and safer medicines. This study evaluated the anti-microbial activity of extracts prepared from berries, leaves, bark and roots of the edible plant Grewia flava . The anti-bacterial activity was evaluated by the broth microdilution method. Anti-oxidant activity of the most active extracts was performed by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The cytotoxicity of the extracts was determined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The acetone extracts of the leaves and roots showed the best activity with MIC values as low as 0.03 mg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium and 0.07 mg/mL against Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus . Quantitative analysis of the scavenging ability showed that acetone extracts exhibited good free radical scavenging activity in a dose-dependent manner. The berries extract had the highest LC 50 (lowest toxicity) of 551.68 68 µg/mL. Acetone extract of leaves and roots of Grewia flava contain anti-microbial and anti-oxidant compounds and could therefore be used as a natural product with little toxicity to host cells.

Protective effect of Carica papaya L leaf extract against alcohol induced acute gastric damage and blood oxidative stress in rats.

PubMed

Indran, M; Mahmood, A A; Kuppusamy, U R

2008-09-01

The effects of Carica papaya leaf (CPL) aqueous extract on alcohol induced acute gastric damage and the immediate blood oxidative stress level were studied in rats. The results showed that gastric ulcer index was significantly reduced in rats pretreated with CPL extract as compared with alcohol treated controls. The in vitro studies using 2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picryl-Hydrazyl (DPPH) assay showed strong antioxidant nature of CPL extract. Biochemical analysis indicated that the acute alcohol induced damage is reflected in the alterations of blood oxidative indices and CPL extract offered some protection with reduction in plasma lipid peroxidation level and increased erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity. Carica papaya leaf may potentially serve as a good therapeutic agent for protection against gastric ulcer and oxidative stress.

Antioxidant and cytoprotective activities of extracts prepared from fruit and vegetable wastes and by-products.

PubMed

Kabir, Faisal; Tow, Wei Wei; Hamauzu, Yasunori; Katayama, Shigeru; Tanaka, Sachi; Nakamura, Soichiro

2015-01-15

In this study, fruit and vegetable wastes and by-products were tested for polyphenol content and their antioxidant activity. The highest content of polyphenols as assessed by the Folin-Ciocalteu assay was the hot-water extract of grape seed, followed by the ethanol extract of buckwheat hull. The highest antioxidant activity measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) assays was also detected in the hot-water extract of grape seed, followed by the ethanol extract of immature prune. Most of samples showed protective effects against oxidative stress induced by 2,2'-azobis-(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) peroxyl radical generator in African monkey kidney (MA 104) cells. Samples containing high amounts of phenolics (more than 30 mg ChAE/g) generally showed high antioxidant activity and a protective effect against AAPH-induced oxidative stress. This study demonstrates that fruit and vegetable wastes and by-products are good sources of high amounts of phenolics with antioxidant properties. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimization of extraction of linarin from Flos chrysanthemi indici by response surface methodology and artificial neural network.

PubMed

Pan, Hongye; Zhang, Qing; Cui, Keke; Chen, Guoquan; Liu, Xuesong; Wang, Longhu

2017-05-01

The extraction of linarin from Flos chrysanthemi indici by ethanol was investigated. Two modeling techniques, response surface methodology and artificial neural network, were adopted to optimize the process parameters, such as, ethanol concentration, extraction period, extraction frequency, and solvent to material ratio. We showed that both methods provided good predictions, but artificial neural network provided a better and more accurate result. The optimum process parameters include, ethanol concentration of 74%, extraction period of 2 h, extraction three times, solvent to material ratio of 12 mL/g. The experiment yield of linarin was 90.5% that deviated less than 1.6% from that obtained by predicted result. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Image segmentation-based robust feature extraction for color image watermarking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Mianjie; Deng, Zeyu; Yuan, Xiaochen

2018-04-01

This paper proposes a local digital image watermarking method based on Robust Feature Extraction. The segmentation is achieved by Simple Linear Iterative Clustering (SLIC) based on which an Image Segmentation-based Robust Feature Extraction (ISRFE) method is proposed for feature extraction. Our method can adaptively extract feature regions from the blocks segmented by SLIC. This novel method can extract the most robust feature region in every segmented image. Each feature region is decomposed into low-frequency domain and high-frequency domain by Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT). Watermark images are then embedded into the coefficients in the low-frequency domain. The Distortion-Compensated Dither Modulation (DC-DM) algorithm is chosen as the quantization method for embedding. The experimental results indicate that the method has good performance under various attacks. Furthermore, the proposed method can obtain a trade-off between high robustness and good image quality.

New microwave-integrated Soxhlet extraction. An advantageous tool for the extraction of lipids from food products.

PubMed

Virot, Matthieu; Tomao, Valérie; Colnagui, Giulio; Visinoni, Franco; Chemat, Farid

2007-12-07

A new process of Soxhlet extraction assisted by microwave was designed and developed. The process is performed in four steps, which ensures complete, rapid and accurate extraction of the samples. A second-order central composite design (CCD) has been used to investigate the performance of the new device. The results provided by analysis of variance and Pareto chart, indicated that the extraction time was the most important factor followed by the leaching time. The response surface methodology allowed us to determine optimal conditions for olive oil extraction: 13 min of extraction time, 17 min of leaching time, and 720 W of irradiation power. The proposed process is suitable for lipids determination from food. Microwave-integrated Soxhlet (MIS) extraction has been compared with a conventional technique, Soxhlet extraction, for the extraction of oil from olives (Aglandau, Vaucluse, France). The oils extracted by MIS for 32 min were quantitatively (yield) and qualitatively (fatty acid composition) similar to those obtained by conventional Soxhlet extraction for 8 h. MIS is a green technology and appears as a good alternative for the extraction of fat and oils from food products.

Immobilization of methylene blue onto bentonite and its application in the extraction of mercury (II).

PubMed

Hassanien, Mohamed M; Abou-El-Sherbini, Khaled S; Al-Muaikel, Nayef S

2010-06-15

Methylene blue was immobilized onto bentonite (BNT). The modified clay (MB-BNT) was used to extract Hg(2+) at pH 6.0 yielding Hg-MB-BNT. BNT, MB-BNT and Hg-MB-BNT were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, infrared spectra, and elemental and thermogravimetric analyses. MB is suggested to be intercalated into the major phase of BNT; montmorillonite mineral (MMT), lying parallel to the aluminosilicate layers, with a capacity of 36 mequiv./100g. MB-BNT shows good stability in 0.1-1M hydrochloric or nitric acids, ammonium hydroxide, and concentrated Na(+), K(+) or NH(4)(+) chlorides or iodides. It shows good selectivity towards Hg(2+) with an extraction capacity of 37 mequiv./100g in the presence of I(-) giving rise to a ratio of MB/Hg(2+)/I(-) 1:1:3 in the clay phase. Extracted Hg(2+) could be quantitatively recovered by ammonia buffer at pH 8.5. MB-BNT was successfully applied to recover Hg(2+) from spiked natural water and cinnabar mineral samples using the optimum conditions; pH 6.0, time of stirring 10 min and 10 mL of 0.05 M NH(4)Cl/NH(4)OH at pH 8.5 as eluent. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Accelerated solvent extraction combined with solid phase extraction for the determination of organophosphate esters from sewage sludge compost by UHPLC-MS/MS.

PubMed

Pang, Long; Yang, Peijie; Ge, Liming; Du, Jingjing; Zhang, Hongzhong

2017-02-01

Organophosphate esters (OPEs), widely used as flame retardants and plasticizers, are regarded as emerging pollutants. OPEs are prone to concentrate into residual activated sludge, which might cause secondary pollution if not suitably treated. Composting is an economical and effective approach to make sewage sludge stable and harmless. Therefore, it is essential to develop a novel method for analyzing OPEs in sewage sludge compost samples. However, in the composting process, large amounts of amendments are doped into the sludge to adjust the carbon-nitrogen ratio. Amendment has a strong capacity for adsorption and thus induces a decrease of extraction efficiency. This study developed a novel procedure for determining OPEs in compost samples. Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and solid phase extraction (SPE) were used for extracting and concentrating the OPEs from sewage sludge compost samples, and then analyzed by UHPLC-MS/MS. Some parameters were optimized in this study, mainly including the extraction solvent type, extraction temperature, static extraction time, extraction cycles, and flush volume. Under the optimal conditions, the proposed method showed good linearity between 0.50 and 100 μg kg -1 with regression coefficients in the range of 0.9984-0.9998. Detection limits were in the range of 0.02-3 μg kg -1 with standard deviations ranging from 2 to 6%. Acceptable recoveries between 56 and 119% for samples spiked at different concentration levels were achieved. In contrast, the recoveries merely ranged from 24 to 58% by using ultrasonic-assisted extraction. Graphical abstract A comparison of recoveries between ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAS) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) for organophosphate esters from sewage sludge compost samples.

General Overview of Phenolics from Plant to Laboratory, Good Antibacterials or Not

PubMed Central

Aldulaimi, Omar A.

2017-01-01

The emergence and rapid development of seriously drug-resistant pathogens have created the greatest danger to public health and made the treatment of infectious diseases ineffective; to control the antibiotic-resistant microbes, the discovery of new effective antibacterials with new mechanisms of action against bacteria remains an urgent task to control the bacterial resistance. The paucity of infections in wild plants supports the role of innate defense system of plants. Many researchers nominate the natural extracts to act against bacterial resistance mechanisms, and the majority of them have now been focused on the combination of plant extracts and antibiotics to define the availability of resistance modification agents. Only very few numbers of natural products are successful to reach experiments circle beyond the in vitro assays. Phenols and phenolic acids could serve as good candidates to the natural antibacterial arsenal. The pyrogallol-based compounds are more potent than others such as catechol or resorcinol, gallic acid, and the hydroxycinnamic acid (ferulic acid) are destructing the bacterial cell wall of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, leading to leakage of cellular contents. These compounds have stronger activity against Gram-positive microorganisms, and some of them showed good synergism with antibiotics, for example, pentagalloylglucopyranose, is shown a synergism with penicillin G against methicillin-resistant S. aureus, another example is the interesting synergism between epicatechin gallate and oxacillin where the minimal inhibitory concentrations of oxacillin reduced around 500 times by the addition of epicatechin gallate to the antibiotic. PMID:28989246

Alternative oil extraction methods from Echium plantagineum L. seeds using advanced techniques and green solvents.

PubMed

Castejón, Natalia; Luna, Pilar; Señoráns, Francisco J

2018-04-01

The edible oil processing industry involves large losses of organic solvent into the atmosphere and long extraction times. In this work, fast and environmentally friendly alternatives for the production of echium oil using green solvents are proposed. Advanced extraction techniques such as Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE), Microwave Assisted Extraction (MAE) and Ultrasound Assisted Extraction (UAE) were evaluated to efficiently extract omega-3 rich oil from Echium plantagineum seeds. Extractions were performed with ethyl acetate, ethanol, water and ethanol:water to develop a hexane-free processing method. Optimal PLE conditions with ethanol at 150 °C during 10 min produced a very similar oil yield (31.2%) to Soxhlet using hexane for 8 h (31.3%). UAE optimized method with ethanol at mild conditions (55 °C) produced a high oil yield (29.1%). Consequently, advanced extraction techniques showed good lipid yields and furthermore, the produced echium oil had the same omega-3 fatty acid composition than traditionally extracted oil. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A new biocompatible microemulsion increases extraction yield and bioavailability of Andrographis paniculata.

PubMed

Liu, Xiao-Yan; Niu, Xin; Feng, Qian-Jin; Yang, Xue-Zhi; Wang, Dan-Wei; Zhao, Tong; Li, Lei; DU, Hong

2016-09-01

The purpose of this study was to design and prepare a biocompatible microemulsion of Andrographis paniculata (BMAP) containing both fat-soluble and water-soluble constituents. We determined the contents of active constituents of BMAP and evaluated its bioavailability. The biocompatible microemulsion (BM), containing lecithin and bile salts, was optimized in the present study, showing a good physical stability. The mean droplet size was 19.12 nm, and the average polydispersity index (PDI) was 0.153. The contents of andrographolide and dehydroandrographolide in BMAP, as determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), were higher than that in ethanol extraction. The pharmacokinetic results of BMAP showed that the AUC0-7 and AUC0→∞ values of BMAP were 2.267 and 27.156 μg·mL(-1)·h(-1), respectively, and were about 1.41-fold and 6.30-fold greater than that of ethanol extraction, respectively. These results demonstrated that the bioavailability of and rographolide extracted by BMAP was significantly higher than that extracted by ethanol. In conclusion, the BMAP preparation displayed ann improved dose form for future clinical applications. Copyright © 2016 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Eco-friendly synthesis of Solanum trilobatum extract-capped silver nanoparticles is compatible with good antimicrobial activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramanathan, Santheraleka; Gopinath, Subash C. B.; Anbu, Periasamy; Lakshmipriya, Thangavel; Kasim, Farizul Hafiz; Lee, Choul-Gyun

2018-05-01

This study focused on the evaluation of antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) after their green synthesis by means of a Solanum trilobatum bark extract. The obtained product with an intense surface plasmon resonance band at ∼442 nm with UV-visible spectroscopic analysis indicated the formation of AgNPs. The morphology of AgNPs was observed under transmission electron microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy, displayed that the eco-friendly synthesized AgNPs have a spherical shape with an average size of ∼25 nm in diameter. X-ray powder diffraction and selected area electron diffraction analyses confirmed that the AgNPs are crystalline in nature. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated that the AgNPs capped with active ingredients of the bark extract. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed elemental composition of the AgNPs. The performance of S. trilobatum bark extract-capped AgNPs in terms of inhibition of microbial growth was studied by disc diffusion and well diffusion assays. Eco-friendly synthesized S. trilobatum extract-capped AgNPs were found to possess enhanced antimicrobial properties: growth inhibition of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and of fungal species. These results demonstrated the potential applications of the indigenous medicinal plants to the field of nanotechnology.

Extracts of Equisetum giganteum L and Copaifera reticulate Ducke show strong antiviral activity against the sexually transmitted pathogen herpes simplex virus type 2.

PubMed

Churqui, Marianela Patzi; Lind, Liza; Thörn, Karolina; Svensson, Alexandra; Savolainen, Otto; Aranda, Katty Terrazas; Eriksson, Kristina

2018-01-10

Equisetum giganteum L and Copaifera reticulate Ducke have been traditionally used by women of the Tacana tribe in the Bolivian Amazonas for genital hygiene and for treatment of genital infection/inflammation. To assess the ability of extracts from Equisetum giganteum L and Copaifera reticulate Ducke to block genital viral infection by herpes simplex virus type 2. Equisetum giganteum L and Copaifera reticulate Ducke were collected from the Amazon region of La Paz, Bolivia. Extracts were prepared and screened for anti-viral activity against herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) using both in vitro and in in vivo models of infection. Equisetum giganteum L and Copaifera reticulate Ducke efficiently blocked HSV-2 infection of cell cultures without major cell cytotoxic effects. Extracts of Equisetum giganteum L and Copaifera reticulate Ducke could prevent HSV-2 disease development when administered together with virus in a mouse model of genital HSV-2 infection. In vitro analyses revealed that both plant extracts exerted their anti-HSV-2 effects by interfering with viral cell attachment and entry, but could not block viral replication post entry. These studies show that extracts of Equisetum giganteum L and Copaifera reticulate Ducke have potent antiviral activities against HSV-2 comparable to those two previously identified plants, Croton lechleri Müll. Arg. and Uncaria tomentosa (Willd. ex Schult.) DC. These studies confirm that plants used by the Tacana tribe could be explored further for the development of novel topical antiviral microbicides. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Trametes versicolor ethanol extract, a promising candidate for health-promoting food supplement.

PubMed

Janjušević, Ljiljana; Pejin, Boris; Kaišarević, Sonja; Gorjanović, Stanislava; Pastor, Ferenc; Tešanović, Kristina; Karaman, Maja

2018-04-01

This study aimed to estimate antiradical, antioxidant (AO) and cytotoxic activities of the fungus Trametes versicolor ethanol fruiting body extract. The extract was found to effectively scavenge both O 2 •- and NO • (29.62 and 52.48 μg/mL, respectively). It also showed a good AO activity in the polarographic HPMC assay (950%/mL). p-Hydroxybenzoic acid may be one of the responsible compounds for the afore-mentioned activities. The same extract also exhibited a concentration-dependent cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and HepG2 tumour cell lines reaching IC 50 values of 123.51 and 134.29 μg/mL, respectively with no cytotoxic activity against normal MRC-5 cells. Gentisic, syringic and protocatechuic acids may be among the bioactive principles for the observed cytotoxicity. Taken all together, T. versicolor ethanol extract can be considered as a promising candidate for development of health promoting food supplement.

Lotus seed epicarp extract as potential antioxidant and anti-obesity additive in Chinese Cantonese Sausage.

PubMed

Qi, Suijian; Zhou, Delong

2013-02-01

The antioxidative activities of a lotus seed epicarp extract in different concentrations (6.25, 12.5, 25, 50 and 100 μg.mL(-1)) in pork homogenates representative of Chinese Cantonese Sausage were evaluated using three methods: thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) values, peroxide values (POVs) and acid values (AVs). Also the cytotoxic and anti-obesity effects of the lotus seed epicarp extracts were evaluated using an in vitro 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cell model. Results showed that the lotus seed epicarp extracts were non-toxic and effective in inhibiting preadipocyte differentiation. Supplementation of pork homogenate with lotus seed epicarp extracts was effective in retarding lipid oxidation. Moreover, the antioxidative and preadipocyte differentiation inhibition effects of the lotus seed epicarp extracts were dose-dependent. Thus, the lotus seed epicarp extract might be a good candidate as an antioxidant and anti-obesity natural additive in Chinese Cantonese Sausage. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Good death in Japanese cancer care: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Hirai, Kei; Miyashita, Mitsunori; Morita, Tatsuya; Sanjo, Makiko; Uchitomi, Yosuke

2006-02-01

One of the most important goals of palliative care is achieving a "good death" or a "good dying process." The primary aim of this study was to identify the components of a Japanese "good death" through qualitative interviews with cancer patients, their families, physicians, and nurses. Semistructured interviews were conducted. Thirteen advanced cancer patients, 10 family members of such patients, 20 physicians, and 20 nurses were recruited from five regional cancer institutions in Japan. Content analysis was applied to answers, and 58 attributes were extracted and classified into 17 categories as follows: Freedom from pain or physical/psychological symptoms, Having a good family relationship, Dying in one's favorite place/environment, Having a good relationship with medical staff, Not being a burden to others, Maintaining dignity, Completion of life, Maintaining a sense of control, Fighting against cancer, Maintaining hope, Not prolonging life, Contributing to others, Control of future, Not being aware of death, Appreciating others, Maintaining pride, and Having faith. The most frequently cited category was "Freedom from pain or physical/psychological symptoms" and the least common was "Having faith." This study identified important components of a good death in Japan. A future quantitative survey is planned to clarify the generalizability of these findings as the primary endpoint of palliative care in Japan.

Molecular characteristics of Illicium verum extractives to activate acquired immune response

PubMed Central

Peng, Wanxi; Lin, Zhi; Wang, Lansheng; Chang, Junbo; Gu, Fangliang; Zhu, Xiangwei

2015-01-01

Illicium verum, whose extractives can activate the demic acquired immune response, is an expensive medicinal plant. However, the rich extractives in I. verum biomass were seriously wasted for the inefficient extraction and separation processes. In order to further utilize the biomedical resources for the good acquired immune response, the four extractives were obtained by SJYB extraction, and then the immunology moleculars of SJYB extractives were identified and analyzed by GC–MS. The result showed that the first-stage extractives contained 108 components including anethole (40.27%), 4-methoxy-benzaldehyde (4.25%), etc.; the second-stage extractives had 5 components including anethole (84.82%), 2-hydroxy-2-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-n-methyl-acetamide (7.11%), etc.; the third-stage extractives contained one component namely anethole (100%); and the fourth-stage extractives contained 5 components including cyclohexyl-benzene (64.64%), 1-(1-methylethenyl)-3-(1-methylethyl)-benzene (17.17%), etc. The SJYB extractives of I. verum biomass had a main retention time between 10 and 20 min what’s more, the SJYB extractives contained many biomedical moleculars, such as anethole, eucalyptol, [1S-(1α,4aα,10aβ)]-1,2,3,4,4a,9,10,10a-octahydro-1,4a-dimethyl-7-(1-methylethyl)-1-phenanthrenecarboxylic acid, stigmast-4-en-3-one, γ-sitosterol, and so on. So the functional analytical results suggested that the SJYB extractives of I. verum had a function in activating the acquired immune response and a huge potential in biomedicine. PMID:27081359

"Everyone just ate good food": 'Good food' in Islamabad, Pakistan.

PubMed

Hasnain, Saher

2018-08-01

In recent years, consumption of alternatively produced foods has increased in popularity in response to the deleterious effects of rapidly globalising and industrialised food systems. Concerns over food safety in relation to these changes may result from elevated levels of risk and changing perceptions associated with food production practices. This paper explores how the middle class residents of Islamabad, Pakistan, use the concept of 'good food' to reconnect themselves with nature, changing food systems, and traditional values. The paper also demonstrates how these ideas relate to those of organic, local, and traditional food consumption as currently used in more economically developed states in the Global North. Through research based on participant observation and semi-structured interviews, this paper illustrates that besides price and convenience, purity, freshness, association with specific places, and 'Pakistani-ness' were considered as the basis for making decisions about 'good food'. The results show that while individuals are aware of and have some access to imported organic and local food, they prefer using holistic and culturally informed concepts of 'good food' instead that reconnect them with food systems. I argue that through conceptualisations of 'good food', the urban middle class in Islamabad is reducing their disconnection and dis-embeddedness from nature, the food systems, and their social identities. The paper contributes to literature on food anxieties, reconnections in food geography, and 'good food' perceptions, with a focus on Pakistan. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

In vitro antifungal activity and probable fungicidal mechanism of aqueous extract of Barleria grandiflora.

PubMed

Kumari, Suman; Jain, Preeti; Sharma, Bhawana; Kadyan, Preeti; Dabur, Rajesh

2015-04-01

Barleria grandiflora Dalz. (Acanthaceae) is being used in India to treat different types of disorders including skin infections. Therefore, there are good possibilities to find antifungal compounds in its extracts with novel mechanism of action. The main objectives of the present study were to evaluate the antifungal activity of plant extracts and to study its effects on metabolic pathways of A. fumigatus. The microbroth dilution assay was used to explore antifungal activity and MIC of various extracts. Metabolic profiles of control and treated cultures were collected from Q-TOF-MS interfaced with HPLC. Affected metabolic pathways of A. fumigatus after the treatment were analyzed by discrimination analysis of mass data. Antifungal activities were observed in hot and cold water extracts of the plant. Hot water extract of B. grandiflora showed significant activity against tested fungi in the range 0.625-1.25 mg/mL. Partial least discrimination analysis revealed that the hot water plant extract downregulated amino acid, glyoxylate pathway, and methylcitrate pathways at the same time due to the synergistic effects of secondary metabolites. Hot water extract also downregulated several other metabolic pathways unique to fungi indicating its specific activity toward fungi. B. grandiflora showed promising antifungal activity which can further be exploited by identification of active compounds, to inhibit the specific fungal pathways and development of novel therapeutic antifungal drugs.

Development and application of stir bar sorptive extraction with polyurethane foams for the determination of testosterone and methenolone in urine matrices.

PubMed

Sequeiros, R C P; Neng, N R; Portugal, F C M; Pinto, M L; Pires, J; Nogueira, J M F

2011-04-01

This work describes the development, validation, and application of a novel methodology for the determination of testosterone and methenolone in urine matrices by stir bar sorptive extraction using polyurethane foams [SBSE(PU)] followed by liquid desorption and high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The methodology was optimized in terms of extraction time, agitation speed, pH, ionic strength and organic modifier, as well as back-extraction solvent and desorption time. Under optimized experimental conditions, convenient accuracy were achieved with average recoveries of 49.7 8.6% for testosterone and 54.2 ± 4.7% for methenolone. Additionally, the methodology showed good precision (<9%), excellent linear dynamic ranges (>0.9963) and convenient detection limits (0.2-0.3 μg/L). When comparing the efficiency obtained by SBSE(PU) and with the conventional polydimethylsiloxane phase [SBSE(PDMS)], yields up to four-fold higher are attained for the former, under the same experimental conditions. The application of the proposed methodology for the analysis of testosterone and methenolone in urine matrices showed negligible matrix effects and good analytical performance.

Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction and supercritical fluid extraction of carbamate pesticides in soil by experimental design methodology.

PubMed

Sun, Lei; Lee, Hian Kee

2003-10-03

Orthogonal array design (OAD) was applied for the first time to optimize microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) conditions for the analysis of four carbamates (propoxur, propham, methiocarb, chlorpropham) from soil. The theory and methodology of a new OA16 (4(4)) matrix derived from a OA16 (2(15)) matrix were developed during the MAE optimization. An analysis of variance technique was employed as the data analysis strategy in this study. Determinations of analytes were completed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection. Four carbamates were successfully extracted from soil with recoveries ranging from 85 to 105% with good reproducibility (approximately 4.9% RSD) under the optimum MAE conditions: 30 ml methanol, 80 degrees C extraction temperature, and 6-min microwave heating. An OA8 (2(7)) matrix was employed for the SFE optimization. The average recoveries and RSD of the analytes from spiked soil by SFE were 92 and 5.5%, respectively except for propham (66.3+/-7.9%), under the following conditions: heating for 30 min at 60 degrees C under supercritical CO2 at 300 kg/cm2 modified with 10% (v/v) methanol. The composition of the supercritical fluid was demonstrated to be a crucial factor in the extraction. The addition of a small volume (10%) of methanol to CO2 greatly enhanced the recoveries of carbamates. A comparison of MAE with SFE was also conducted. The results indicated that >85% average recoveries were obtained by both optimized extraction techniques, and slightly higher recoveries of three carbamates (propoxur, propham and methiocarb) were achieved using MAE. SFE showed slightly higher recovery for chlorpropham (93 vs. 87% for MAE). The effects of time-aged soil on the extraction of analytes were examined and the results obtained by both methods were also compared.

Application of solid/liquid extraction for the gravimetric determination of lipids in royal jelly.

PubMed

Antinelli, Jean-François; Davico, Renée; Rognone, Catherine; Faucon, Jean-Paul; Lizzani-Cuvelier, Louisette

2002-04-10

Gravimetric lipid determination is a major parameter for the characterization and the authentication of royal jelly quality. A solid/liquid extraction was compared to the reference method, which is based on liquid/liquid extraction. The amount of royal jelly and the time of the extraction were optimized in comparison to the reference method. Boiling/rinsing ratio and spread of royal jelly onto the extraction thimble were identified as critical parameters, resulting in good accuracy and precision for the alternative method. Comparison of reproducibility and repeatability of both methods associated with gas chromatographic analysis of the composition of the extracted lipids showed no differences between the two methods. As the intra-laboratory validation tests were comparable to the reference method, while offering rapidity and a decrease in amount of solvent used, it was concluded that the proposed method should be used with no modification of quality criteria and norms established for royal jelly characterization.

Feature extraction inspired by V1 in visual cortex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Chao; Xu, Yuelei; Zhang, Xulei; Ma, Shiping; Li, Shuai; Xin, Peng; Zhu, Mingning; Ma, Hongqiang

2018-04-01

Target feature extraction plays an important role in pattern recognition. It is the most complicated activity in the brain mechanism of biological vision. Inspired by high properties of primary visual cortex (V1) in extracting dynamic and static features, a visual perception model was raised. Firstly, 28 spatial-temporal filters with different orientations, half-squaring operation and divisive normalization were adopted to obtain the responses of V1 simple cells; then, an adjustable parameter was added to the output weight so that the response of complex cells was got. Experimental results indicate that the proposed V1 model can perceive motion information well. Besides, it has a good edge detection capability. The model inspired by V1 has good performance in feature extraction and effectively combines brain-inspired intelligence with computer vision.

Extraction Behaviors of Heavy Rare Earths with Organophosphoric Extractants: The Contribution of Extractant Dimer Dissociation, Acid Ionization, and Complexation. A Quantum Chemistry Study.

PubMed

Jing, Yu; Chen, Ji; Chen, Li; Su, Wenrou; Liu, Yu; Li, Deqian

2017-03-30

Heavy rare earths (HREs), namely Ho 3+ , Er 3+ , Tm 3+ , Yb 3+ and Lu 3+ , are rarer and more exceptional than light rare earths, due to the stronger extraction capacity for 100 000 extractions. Therefore, their incomplete stripping and high acidity of stripping become problems for HRE separation by organophosphoric extractants. However, the theories of extractant structure-performance relationship and molecular design method of novel HRE extractants are still not perfect. Beyond the coordination chemistry of the HRE-extracted complex, the extractant dimer dissociation, acid ionization, and complexation behaviors can be crucial to HRE extraction and reactivity of ionic species for understanding and further improving the extraction performance. To address the above issues, three primary fundamental processes, including extractant dimer dissociation, acid ionization, and HRE complexation, were identified and investigated systematically. The intrinsic extraction performances of HRE cations with four acidic organophosphoric extractants (P507, P204, P227 and Cyanex 272) were studied by using relativistic energy-consistent 4f core pseudopotentials, combined with density functional theory and a solvation model. Four acidic organophosphoric extractants have been qualified quantitatively from microscopic structures to chemical properties. It has been found that the Gibbs free energy changes of the overall extraction process (sequence: P204 > P227 > P507 > Cyanex 272) and their differences as a function of HREs (sequence: Ho/Er > Er/Tm > Tm/Yb > Yb/Lu) are in good agreement with the experimental maximum extraction capacities and separation factors. These results could provide an important approach to evaluate HRE extractants by the comprehensive consideration of dimer dissociation, acid ionization, and complexation processes. This paper also demonstrates the importance of the P-O bond, the P-C bond, isomer substituent, and solvation effects on the structure

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of maxilla showing sarcomatous change in an edentulous site with a history of tooth extraction following periodontitis: A case report with discussion.

PubMed

Biniraj, K R; Janardhanan, Mahija

2014-05-01

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a rare tumor of uncertain origin with variable biological behavior ranging from reactive lesions to highly aggressive malignancy. Oral IMTs are extremely rare and only 25 cases had been reported so far. A case of IMT with sarcomatous transformation in an extraction site with a history of tooth extraction following tooth mobility of an upper left molar tooth is presented here. The tooth was extracted following a complaint of gingival swelling and mobility of tooth. Though malignant transformation in IMTs had been documented in the extra oral sites, wide search of associated literature suggests, this is the first case of oral IMT showing malignant change associated with gingiva. The case report attempts to highlight the variant possibilities of tooth mobility other than periodontitis and the importance of assessing the primary cause of such conditions.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of maxilla showing sarcomatous change in an edentulous site with a history of tooth extraction following periodontitis: A case report with discussion

PubMed Central

Biniraj, K. R.; Janardhanan, Mahija

2014-01-01

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a rare tumor of uncertain origin with variable biological behavior ranging from reactive lesions to highly aggressive malignancy. Oral IMTs are extremely rare and only 25 cases had been reported so far. A case of IMT with sarcomatous transformation in an extraction site with a history of tooth extraction following tooth mobility of an upper left molar tooth is presented here. The tooth was extracted following a complaint of gingival swelling and mobility of tooth. Though malignant transformation in IMTs had been documented in the extra oral sites, wide search of associated literature suggests, this is the first case of oral IMT showing malignant change associated with gingiva. The case report attempts to highlight the variant possibilities of tooth mobility other than periodontitis and the importance of assessing the primary cause of such conditions. PMID:25024554

Recovery of Oil with Unsaturated Fatty Acids and Polyphenols from Chaenomelessinensis (Thouin) Koehne: Process Optimization of Pilot-Scale Subcritical Fluid Assisted Extraction.

PubMed

Zhu, Zhenzhou; Zhang, Rui; Zhan, Shaoying; He, Jingren; Barba, Francisco J; Cravotto, Giancarlo; Wu, Weizhong; Li, Shuyi

2017-10-22

The potential effects of three modern extraction technologies (cold-pressing, microwaves and subcritical fluids) on the recovery of oil from Chaenomelessinensis (Thouin) Koehne seeds have been evaluated and compared to those of conventional chemical extraction methods (Soxhlet extraction). This oil contains unsaturated fatty acids and polyphenols. Subcritical fluid extraction (SbFE) provided the highest yield-25.79 g oil/100 g dry seeds-of the three methods. Moreover, the fatty acid composition in the oil samples was analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. This analysis showed that the percentages of monounsaturated (46.61%), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (42.14%), after applying SbFE were higher than those obtained by Soxhlet, cold-pressing or microwave-assisted extraction. In addition, the oil obtained under optimized SbFE conditions (35 min extraction at 35 °C with four extraction cycles), showed significant polyphenol (527.36 mg GAE/kg oil), and flavonoid (15.32 mg RE/kg oil), content, had a good appearance and was of high quality.

Anti-oxidant properties and polyphenolic profile screening of Vitis vinifera stems and leaves crude extracts grown in Perlis, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakaria, Nursyahda; Zulkifli, Razauden Mohamed; Akhir, Fazrena Nadia Md; Basar, Norazah

2014-03-01

Grape has become a fast growing agricultural sector in Malaysia producing between 0.62 kg to 2.03 kg waste per vinestock. This study aims to generate useful information on anti-oxidative properties as well as polyphenolic composition of grapevine waste. Stems and leaves of Vitis vinifera cultivated in Perlis, Malaysia were extracted using methanol, ethyl acetate and petroleum ether. Ethyl acetate stems extract exhibited highest total phenolic content. While in DPPH assay, methanolic stems extract show the highest antioxidant activities. This result indicates that total phenolic content in the extracts may not contribute directly to the antioxidant activities. Thin Layer Chromatograms of all crude extracts exhibited good separation under solvent system petroleum ether-ethyl acetate (2:3) resulted in detection of resveratrol in ethyl acetate stems crude extract.

A polyphenol-enriched cocoa extract reduces free radicals produced by mycotoxins.

PubMed

Corcuera, L A; Amézqueta, S; Arbillaga, L; Vettorazzi, A; Touriño, S; Torres, J L; López de Cerain, A

2012-03-01

Polyphenols are characterized by the presence of phenol units in the molecules. These compounds may show antioxidant ability by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) of the free radical type. A polyphenol enriched cocoa extract (PECE) was obtained from cocoa seeds with 28% of procyanidins which were mainly epicatechin oligomers. PECE was very active as free radical scavenger against 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and tris(2,4,6-trichloro-3,5-dinitrophenyl)methyl (HNTTM) radicals; and the tris(2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-4-nitrophenyl)methyl (TNPTM) assay showed that the PECE might not be pro-oxidant. Thus it was considered a good candidate to be tested in in vitro models. It showed mild cytotoxic power on Hep G2 cells and induced ROS in a dose-dependent manner being weak oxidant only at high concentrations near the limit of solubility. The antioxidant properties were assayed in Hep G2 treated with the mycotoxins ochratoxin A (OTA) and/or aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). The PECE was not effective against AFB1 but it increased the cell viability and reduced significantly the amounts of ROS in cells treated with OTA or mixtures of AFB1+OTA. These results are coherent with the role of oxidative pathways in the mechanism of OTA and indicate that polyphenols extracted from cocoa may be good candidates as antioxidant agents. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microwave-assisted extraction of polysaccharides from Cyphomandra betacea and its biological activities.

PubMed

C, Senthil Kumar; M, Sivakumar; K, Ruckmani

2016-11-01

Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the parameters for microwave-assisted extraction of polysaccharides from Cyphomandra betacea. The results showed a good fit with a second-order polynomial equation that was statistically acceptable at P<0.05. Optimal conditions for the extraction of polysaccharides were: extraction time, 2h; microwave power, 400W; extraction temperature, 60°C; and ratio of raw material to water 1:40 (g/mL). Under the optimized conditions, the yield of polysaccharides was found to be relatively high (about 36.52%). The in vitro biological activities of antioxidant and antitumor were evaluated. The IC 50 value of polysaccharides was found to be 3mg/mL. The percentage of Cell viability was determined by MTT assay. Our results showed that polysaccharides inhibited proliferation of MCF-7 (Breast carcinoma), A549 (Human lung carcinoma) and HepG2 (Liver carcinoma) with an IC 50 of 0.23mg/mL, 0.17mg/mL and 0.62mg/mL respectively after 48h incubation. Polysaccharides were shown to promote apoptosis as seen in the nuclear morphological examination study using acridine orange (AO) and ethidium bromide (EB) staining. This is the first report on the effects of polysaccharides extracted from Cyphomandra betacea which exhibited stronger antioxidant and antitumor activities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A study of extraction process and in vitro antioxidant activity of total phenols from Rhizoma Imperatae.

PubMed

Zhou, Xian-rong; Wang, Jian-hua; Jiang, Bo; Shang, Jin; Zhao, Chang-qiong

2013-01-01

The study investigated the extraction method of Rhizoma Imperatae and its antioxidant activity, and provided a basis for its rational development. The extraction method of Rhizoma Imperatae was determined using orthogonal design test and by total phenol content, its hydroxyl radical scavenging ability was measured by Fenton reaction, and potassium ferricyanide reduction method was used to determine its reducing power. The results showed that the optimum extraction process of Rhizoma Imperatae was a 50-fold volume of water, 30 °C, three times of extraction with 2 h each. Its IC50 for scavenging of hydroxyl radicals was 0.0948 mg/mL, while IC50 of ascorbic acid was 0.1096 mg/mL; in the ferricyanide considerable reduction method, the extract exhibited reducing power comparable to that of the ascorbic acid. The study concluded that Rhizoma Imperatae extract contains relatively large amount of polyphenols, and has a good anti-oxidation ability.

Pharmacological activities of the organic extracts and fatty acid composition of the petroleum ether extract from Haplophyllum tuberculatum leaves.

PubMed

Hamdi, Assia; Majouli, Kaouther; Abdelhamid, Amal; Marzouk, Belsem; Belghith, Hèla; Chraief, Imed; Bouraoui, Abderrahman; Marzouk, Zohra; Heyden, Yvan Vander

2018-04-24

Haplophyllum tuberculatum is used in traditional medicine to treat many disorders including inflammation and pain. The aim of this study is to investigate the organic extracts from H. tuberculatum leaves against inflammation, gastric ulcer and pain. Acute toxicity was studied in vivo to determine the toxic doses of the organic extracts. Anti-inflammatory activity was also evaluated in vivo using carrageenan-induced paw edema in Wistar rats. Gastroprotective activity was tested using the HCl/ethanol-induced gastric ulcer test in rats. Peripheral and central analgesic activities were assessed using the acetic acid-induced writhing test and the hot-plate method, respectively. The chemical composition of the fatty acids in the petroleum ether (PE) extract was determined with GC-MS. At 25, 50 and 100mg/kg PE extract was the most active against inflammation. Percentages inhibition 5h after carrageenan-injection were 51.12; 86.71% and 96.92%, respectively. The same extract at 100mg/kg showed good analgesic activities using the acetic acid-induced writhing test and the hot-plate method. The chloroform, ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and butanolic (n-BuOH) extracts exhibited strong anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective and analgesic activities at 100mg/kg. The GC-FID analysis revealed that the PE extract was rich in γ-linolenic acid (45.50%) followed by palmitic acid (18.48%), linoleic acid (10.73%), erucic acid (4.72), stearic acid (3.96%) and oleic acid (2.57%). The results of the present study support the traditional use of the leaves of H. tuberculatum and may possibly serve as prospective material for further development of safe new phytochemical anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective and/or analgesic agents. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

European and Mexican vs US diagnostic extracts of Bermuda grass and cat in skin testing.

PubMed

Larenas-Linnemann, Désirée; Cruz, Alfredo Arias; Gutierrez, Isabel Rojo; Rodriguez, Pablo; Shah-Hosseini, Kijawasch; Michels, Alexandra; Mösges, Ralph

2011-05-01

Laboratory testing of various diagnostic extracts has shown lower potencies for several European and Mexican extracts relative to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reference (10,000 BAU/mL). Quantitative skin prick testing (QSPT) with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extracts have previously shown a similar picture. To compare European and Mexican Bermuda grass (BG) and cat diagnostic extracts against an FDA-validated extract using QSPT. Six diagnostic BG and cat extracts (1 reference FDA extract, 3 European extracts, 1 imported nonstandardized extract from the United States, and 1 Mexican extract) were tested with quadruplicate QSPT, as a concentrate and as 2 serial 2-fold dilutions, in cat and BG allergic individuals. BG showed good dose response in wheal size for the concentrate (1:2-1:4 dilutions; steep part of the curve). Cat showed poorer dose response. The Wilcoxon test for linked random samples was used to investigate whether the distribution of the reference differed from each of the test extracts to a statistically significant degree (2-sided asymptotic significance, α = .05). All BG and 2 cat extracts were statistically less potent than the 10,000 BAU/mL US reference. European BG extracts were 7,700, 4,100, and 1,600 BAU/mL, and cat extracts were 12,500, 4,400, and 5,100 BAU/mL. The potency of some diagnostic extracts of BG and cat used in Europe, Mexico, and the United States differs, with the US extracts being generally more potent. On the basis of provocation tests, optimal diagnostic concentrations should be determined. Similar comparisons using other manufacturers and therapeutic extracts might be interesting. Copyright © 2011 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Extraction of astaxanthin from Euphausia pacific using subcritical 1, 1, 1, 2-tetrafluoroethane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Yuqian; Ma, Qinchuan; Wang, Lan; Xue, Changhu

2012-12-01

Euphausia pacific is an important source of natural astaxanthin. Studies were carried out to assess the extractability of astaxanthin from E. pacific using subcritical 1, 1, 1, 2-tetrafluoroethane (R134a). To examine the effects of multiple process variables on the extraction yield, astaxanthin was extracted under various conditions of pressure (30-150 bar), temperature (303-343 K), time (10-50 min), flow rate (2-10 g min-1), moisture content (5.5%-63.61%), and particle size (0.25-0.109 mm). The results showed that the extraction yield increased with temperature, pressure, time and flow rate, but decreased with moisture content and particle size. A maximum yield of 87.74% was obtained under conditions of 100 bar, 333 K, and 30 min with a flow rate of 6 g min-1 and a moisture content of 5.5%. The substantial astaxanthin yield obtained under low-pressure conditions demonstrates that subcritical R134a is a good alternative to CO2 for extraction of astaxanthin from E. pacific.

Eggshell membrane-based biotemplating of mixed hemimicelle/admicelle as a solid-phase extraction adsorbent for carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

PubMed

Wang, Weidong; Chen, Bo; Huang, Yuming

2014-08-13

A new solid-phase extraction (SPE) format was demonstrated, based on eggshell membrane (ESM) templating of the mixed hemimicelle/admicelle of linear alkylbenzenesulfonates (LAS) as an adsorbent for the enrichment of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in environmental aqueous samples. The LAS mixed hemimicelle/admicelle formation and SPE of the target PAHs were conducted simultaneously by adding the organic target and LAS through a column filled with 500 mg of ESM. The effect of various factors, including LAS concentration, solution pH, ionic strength, and humic acid concentration on the recoveries of PAHs were investigated and optimized. The results showed that LAS concentration and solution pH had obvious effect on extraction of PAHs, and the recoveries of PAHs compounds decreased in the presence of salt and humic acid. Under the optimized analytical conditions, the present method could respond down to 0.1-8.6 ng/L PAHs with a linear calibration ranging from 0.02 to 10 μg/L, showing a good PAHs enrichment ability with high sensitivity. The developed method was used satisfactorily for the detection of PAHs in environmental water samples. The mixed hemimicelle/admicelle adsorbent exhibited high extraction efficiency to PAHs and good selectivity with respect to natural organic matter and was advantageous over commercial C₁₈ adsorbent, for example, high extraction yield, high breakthrough volume, and easy regeneration.

USSR Report, Consumer Goods and Domestic Trade, No. 65

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-06-08

types of oil-bearing raw materials— grape seeds , fruit and tree-fruit pits, corn germs and others. In recent years the ties of the workers of oils and...brief, indicate how the original information was processed. Where no processing indicator is given, the information was summarized or extracted ...good crop. More than 2 million tons of grapes were harvested for the first time. Public education, science and culture underwent further development

Crude extract and fractions from Eugenia uniflora Linn leaves showed anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities.

PubMed

Falcão, Tamires Rocha; de Araújo, Aurigena Antunes; Soares, Luiz Alberto Lira; de Moraes Ramos, Rhayanne Thaís; Bezerra, Isabelle Cristinne Ferraz; Ferreira, Magda Rhayanny Assunção; de Souza Neto, Manoel André; Melo, Maria Celeste Nunes; de Araújo, Raimundo Fernandes; de Aguiar Guerra, Andreza Conceição Véras; de Medeiros, Juliana Silva; Guerra, Gerlane Coelho Bernardo

2018-03-09

This study showed phytochemical composition and evaluates the anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities of crude extract (CE) and fractions from E. uniflora Linn leaves. Polyphenols present in crude extract (CE), in aqueous fraction (AqF), and ethyl acetate (EAF) treated fractions from E. uniflora Linn leaves were shown by chromatographic analysis in order to conduct a phytochemical characterization. Antibacterial activity was evaluated based on minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) determined using the agar dilution method. Doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg of the CE and fractions were applied for conducting in vivo models (male Swiss mice, 8-10 weeks old). The peritonitis experimental model was induced by carrageenan following of Myeloperoxidase activity (MPO), Total glutathione and malondialdehyde (MDA), IL-1β and TNF-α levels by spectroscopic UV/VIS analysis. Antinociceptive activity was evaluated based on an abdominal writhing model and hot plate test. The results were statistically evaluated using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Bonferroni's post-hoc test. The level of statistical significance was p < 0.05. High-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (HPLC-DAD) detected varying concentrations of gallic acid, ellagic acid, and myricitrin in the CE and fractions obtained from E. uniflora Linn leaves (0.05-0.87%w/w, 0.20-0.32%w/w, and 1.71-6.56%w/w, respectively). In general, the CE had lower MIC values than the fractions, including the lowest MIC against the MRSA strain. The CE and AqF also significantly reduced leukocyte migration and MPO activity (p < 0.05). In addition, AqF significantly reduced IL-1β and TNF-α levels (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the CE and fractions exhibited an antioxidant effect (p < 0.05) and peripheral analgesic activity (p < 0.05). The CE and fractions from the studied E. uniflora Linn leaves exhibited antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and analgesic

Evaluation of mosquito larvicidal activity of fruit extracts of Acacia auriculiformis against the Japanese encephalitis vector Culex vishnui.

PubMed

Barik, Mousumi; Rawani, Anjali; Laskar, Subrata; Chandra, Goutam

2018-02-19

The larvicidal potentiality of crude and ethyl acetate extracts of fruits of Acacia auriculiformis was investigated against all the larval instars of JE vector Culex vishnui. The crude extracts showed good results against all the larval instars with highest mortality at 0.09%. Highest mortality was found at 300 ppm of ethyl acetate extract. Lowest LC 50 value was obtained at 72 h for third instar larvae. Non target organisms tested, showed no to very less mortality to ethyl acetate solvent extract. Presence of N-H stretching, a C=O stretching, C=C and C-N stretching vibrations of secondary amide or amine group were confirmed from IR analysis. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of three compounds namely Ethane 2-chloro-1,1-dimethoxy, Acetic acid, 1-methyl ether ester and [4-[1-[3,5-Dimethyl-4[(trimethylsilyl)oxy)phenyl]-1,3-dimethylbutyl)-2,6dimethylphenoxy)(trimethyl) silane, responsible for mosquito larval death.

Isolation of Bioactive Compounds from Sunflower Leaves (Helianthus annuus L.) Extracted with Supercritical Carbon Dioxide.

PubMed

El Marsni, Zouhir; Torres, Ascension; Varela, Rosa M; Molinillo, José M G; Casas, Lourdes; Mantell, Casimiro; Martinez de la Ossa, Enrique J; Macias, Francisco A

2015-07-22

The work described herein is a continuation of our initial studies on the supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with CO2 of bioactive substances from Helianthus annuus L. var. Arianna. The selected SFE extract showed high activity in the wheat coleoptile bioassay, in Petri dish phytotoxicity bioassays, and in the hydroponic culture of tomato seeds. Chromatographic fractionations of the extracts and a spectroscopic analysis of the isolated compounds showed 52 substances belonging to 10 different chemical classes, which were mainly sesquiterpene lactones, diterpenes, and flavonoids. Heliannuol M (31), helivypolides K and L (36, 37), and helieudesmanolide B (38) are described for the first time in the literature. Metabolites have been tested in the etiolated wheat coleoptile bioassay with good results in a noteworthy effect on germination. The most active compounds were also tested on tomato seeds, heliannuol A (30) and leptocarpin (45) being the most active, with values similar to those of the commercial herbicide.

Extraction and Characterization of Boswellia Serrata Gum as Pharmaceutical Excipient.

PubMed

Panta, Sumedha; Malviya, Rishabha; Sharma, Pramod

2015-01-01

This manuscript deals with the purification and characterization of Boswellia serrata gum as a suspending agent. The Boswellia serrata gum was purchased as crude material, purified and further characterized in terms of organoleptic properties and further micromeritic studies were carried out to characterize the polymer as a pharmaceutical excipient. The suspending properties of the polymer were also evaluated. The results showed that the extracted gum possesses optimum organoleptic as well as micromeritic and suspending properties. To characterize Boswellia serrata gum as a natural excipient. Boswellia serrata gum, paracetamol, distilled water. The results showed that the extracted gum possesses optimum organoleptic as well as micromeritic and suspending properties. It is concluded from the research work that the gum extracted from Boswellia serrata shows the presence of carbohydrates after chemical tests. All the organoleptic properties evaluated were found to be acceptable. The pH was found to be slightly acidic. Swelling Index reveals that the gum swells well in water. Total ash value was within the limits. The values of angle of repose and Carr's Index of powdered gum powder showed that the flow property was good. IR spectra confirmed the presence of alcohol, amines, ketones, anhydrides and aromatic rings. The suspending properties of Boswellia serrata gum were found to be higher as compared to gum acacia while the flow rate of Boswellia serrata gum (1% suspension) was less than gum acacia (1% suspension). The viscosity measurement of both Boswellia serrata gum suspension and gum acacia suspension showed approximately similar results.

Liposome-containing Hibiscus sabdariffa calyx extract formulations with increased antioxidant activity, improved dermal penetration and reduced dermal toxicity.

PubMed

Pinsuwan, Sirirat; Amnuaikit, Thanaporn; Ungphaiboon, Suwipa; Itharat, Arunporn

2010-12-01

Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn, or Roselle, is a medicinal plant used extensively in traditional Thai medicine since ancient times. The extracts of Roselle calyces possess antioxidant activity and have potential for development as active ingredients in cosmetic products. However the limitations of using Roselle extracts in cosmetics are its low skin permeation and dermal irritation. Liposome technology is an obvious approach that might overcome these problems. Liposome formulations of standardized Roselle extracts were developed with various lipid components. The formulation showing the highest entrapment efficiency was selected for stability, skin permeation and dermal irritability studies. The liposome formulation with the highest entrapment efficiency (83%) and smalôlest particle size (332 mm) was formulated with phosphatidylcholine from soybean (SPC): Tween 80: deoxycholic acid (DA); 84:16:2.5 weight ratio, total lipid of 200 g/mL and 10% w/v Roselle extract in final liposomal preparation. This liposome formulation was found to be stable after storage at 4 degrees C, protected from light, for 2 months. The in vitro skin permeation studies, using freshly excised pig skin and modified Franz-diffusion cells, showed that the liposome formulation was able to considerably increased the rate of permeation of active compounds in Roselle extracts compared to the Roselle extract solution. The in vivo dermal irritability testing on rabbit skin showed that the liposome formulation dramatically decreased skin irritability compared to the unformulated extract. These results showed that the liposomes containing Roselle extracts had good stability, high entrapment efficacy, increased skin permeation and low skin irritation.

Noninvasive extraction of fetal electrocardiogram based on Support Vector Machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Yumei; Xiang, Shihan; Chen, Tianyi; Zhou, Ping; Huang, Weiyan

2015-10-01

The fetal electrocardiogram (FECG) signal has important clinical value for diagnosing the fetal heart diseases and choosing suitable therapeutics schemes to doctors. So, the noninvasive extraction of FECG from electrocardiogram (ECG) signals becomes a hot research point. A new method, the Support Vector Machine (SVM) is utilized for the extraction of FECG with limited size of data. Firstly, the theory of the SVM and the principle of the extraction based on the SVM are studied. Secondly, the transformation of maternal electrocardiogram (MECG) component in abdominal composite signal is verified to be nonlinear and fitted with the SVM. Then, the SVM is trained, and the training results are compared with the real data to ensure the effect of the training. Meanwhile, the parameters of the SVM are optimized to achieve the best performance so that the learning machine can be utilized to fit the unknown samples. Finally, the FECG is extracted by removing the optimal estimation of MECG component from the abdominal composite signal. In order to evaluate the performance of FECG extraction based on the SVM, the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and the visual test are used. The experimental results show that the FECG with good quality can be extracted, its SNR ratio is significantly increased as high as 9.2349 dB and the time cost is significantly decreased as short as 0.802 seconds. Compared with the traditional method, the noninvasive extraction method based on the SVM has a simple realization, the shorter treatment time and the better extraction quality under the same conditions.

Polytetrafluoroethylene-jacketed stirrer modified with graphene oxide and polydopamine for the efficient extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

PubMed

Zhang, Zinxin; Mwadini, Mwadini Ahmada; Chen, Zilin

2016-10-01

Steel stirrers jacketed with polytetrafluoroethylene can be regarded as an ideal substrate for stirrer bar sorptive extraction. However, it is still a great challenge to immobilize graphene onto a polytetrafluoroethylene stirrer due to the high chemical resistance of the surface of a polytetrafluoroethylene stirrer. We describe here a method to modify the surface of polytetrafluoroethylene stirrers with graphene. In this work, graphene was used as the sorbent due to its excellent adsorption capability for aromatic compounds, such as polycyclic aromatic compounds. Graphene was successfully immobilized onto polytetrafluoroethylene-stirrer by a bio-inspired polydopamine functionalization method. The graphene-modified polytetrafluoroethylene-stirrer shows good stability and tolerance to stirring, ultrasonication, strong acidic and basic solutions, and to organic solvents. The multilayer coating was characterized by scanning electronic microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. After the optimization of some experimental conditions, the graphene-modified polytetrafluoroethylene stirrer was used for the stirrer bar sorptive extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, in which the binding between the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the graphene layer was mainly based on π-π stacking and hydrophobic interactions. The graphene-modified polytetrafluoroethylene-stirrer-based stirrer bar sorptive extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with great extraction efficiency, with enrichment factors from 18 to 62. The method has low limits of detection of 1-5 pg/mL, wide linear range (5-100 and 10-200 pg/mL), good linearity (R ≥ 0.9957) and good reproducibility (RSD ≤ 6.45%). The proposed method has been applied to determine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in real dust samples. Good recoveries were obtained, ranging from 88.53 to 109.43%. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag

In vitro antioxidant evaluation and total phenolics of methanolic leaf extracts of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L.

PubMed

Michael, J Savarimuthu; Kalirajan, A; Padmalatha, C; Singh, A J A Ranjit

2013-09-01

To investigate the in vitro antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of the methanolic leaf extract of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L. (NA). The sample was tested using five in vitro antioxidant methods (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazine radical scavenging activity (DPPH), hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity (-OH), nitric oxide scavenging activity (NO), superoxide radical-scavenging activity, and total antioxidant activity) to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant potential of NA and the total phenolic content (Folin-Ciocalteu method). The extract showed good free radical scavenging property which was calculated as an IC50 value. IC50 (Half maximal inhibitory concentration) of the methanolic extract was found to be 57.93 μg·mL(-1) for DPPH, 98.61 μg·mL(-1) for -OH, 91.74 μg·mL(-1) for NO, and 196.07 μg·mL(-1) for superoxide radical scavenging activity. Total antioxidant capacity of the extract was found to be (1198 ± 24.05) mg ascorbic acid for the methanolic extract. Free radical scavenging activity observed in the extracts of NA showed a concentration-dependent reaction. The in vitro scavenging tested for free radicals was reported to be due to high phenolic content in the leaf extract. The leaf extract of NA showed the highest total phenolic content with a value of 78.48 ± 4.2 equivalent mg TAE/g (tannic acid equivalent). N. arbor-tristis leaf extract exhibited potent free radical scavenging activity. The finding suggests that N. arbor-tristis leaves could be a potential source of natural antioxidant. Copyright © 2013 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimization of solvent extraction of shea butter (Vitellaria paradoxa) using response surface methodology and its characterization.

PubMed

Ajala, E O; Aberuagba, F; Olaniyan, A M; Onifade, K R

2016-01-01

Shea butter (SB) was extracted from its kernel by using n-hexane as solvent in an optimization study. This was to determine the optima operating variables that would give optimum yield of SB and to study the effect of solvent on the physico-chemical properties and chemical composition of SB extracted using n-hexane. A Box-behnken response surface methodology (RSM) was used for the optimization study while statistical analysis using ANOVA was used to test the significance of the variables for the process. The variables considered for this study were: sample weight (g), solvent volume (ml) and extraction time (min). The physico-chemical properties of SB extracted were determined using standard methods and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for the chemical composition. The results of RSM analysis showed that the three variables investigated have significant effect (p < 0.05) on the %yield of SB, with R(2) - 0.8989 which showed good fitness of a second-order model. Based on this model, optima operating variables for the extraction process were established as: sample weight of 30.04 g, solvent volume of 346.04 ml and extraction time of 40 min, which gave 66.90 % yield of SB. Furthermore, the result of the physico-chemical properties obtained for the shea butter extracted using traditional method (SBT) showed that it is a more suitable raw material for food, biodiesel production, cosmetics, medicinal and pharmaceutical purposes than shea butter extracted using solvent extraction method (SBS). Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) results obtained for the two samples were similar to what was obtainable from other vegetable oil.

Chelating, antioxidant and hypoglycaemic potential of Muscari comosum (L.) Mill. bulb extracts.

PubMed

Loizzo, Monica R; Tundis, Rosa; Menichini, Federica; Pugliese, Alessandro; Bonesi, Marco; Solimene, Umberto; Menichini, Francesco

2010-12-01

The metal chelating activity, antioxidant properties and the effect on carbohydrate-hydrolysing enzyme inhibition of Muscari comosum extracts have been investigated. M. comosum bulbs contain a total amount of the phenols with a value of 56.6 mg chlorogenic acid equivalent per gram of extract and a flavonoid content of 23.4 mg quercetin equivalent per gram of extract. In order to evaluate the non-polar constituents, n-hexane extract was obtained. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed the presence of fatty acids and ethyl esters as major constituents, with different aldehydes and alkanes as minor components. Ethanolic extract had the highest ferric-reducing ability power (66.7 μM Fe(II)/g) and DPPH scavenging activity with a concentration giving 50% inhibition (IC₅₀) value of 40.9 μg/ml. Moreover, this extract exhibited a good hypoglycaemic activity with IC₅₀ values of 81.3 and 112.8 μg/ml for α-amylase and α-glucosidase, respectively. In conclusion, M. comosum bulbs show promising antioxidant and hypoglycaemic activity via the inhibition of carbohydrate digestive enzymes. These activities may be of interest from a functional point of view and for the revalorization of this ancient non-cultivated vegetable of Mediterranean traditional gastronomy.

Selection of an Appropriate Protein Extraction Method to Study the Phosphoproteome of Maize Photosynthetic Tissue

PubMed Central

Luís, Inês M.; Alexandre, Bruno M.; Oliveira, M. Margarida

2016-01-01

Often plant tissues are recalcitrant and, due to that, methods relying on protein precipitation, such as TCA/acetone precipitation and phenol extraction, are usually the methods of choice for protein extraction in plant proteomic studies. However, the addition of precipitation steps to protein extraction methods may negatively impact protein recovery, due to problems associated with protein re-solubilization. Moreover, we show that when working with non-recalcitrant plant tissues, such as young maize leaves, protein extraction methods with precipitation steps compromise the maintenance of some labile post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as phosphorylation. Therefore, a critical issue when studying PTMs in plant proteins is to ensure that the protein extraction method is the most appropriate, both at qualitative and quantitative levels. In this work, we compared five methods for protein extraction of the C4-photosynthesis related proteins, in the tip of fully expanded third-leaves. These included: TCA/Acetone Precipitation; Phenol Extraction; TCA/Acetone Precipitation followed by Phenol Extraction; direct extraction in Lysis Buffer (a urea-based buffer); and direct extraction in Lysis Buffer followed by Cleanup with a commercial kit. Protein extraction in Lysis Buffer performed better in comparison to the other methods. It gave one of the highest protein yields, good coverage of the extracted proteome and phosphoproteome, high reproducibility, and little protein degradation. This was also the easiest and fastest method, warranting minimal sample handling. We also show that this method is adequate for the successful extraction of key enzymes of the C4-photosynthetic metabolism, such as PEPC, PPDK, PEPCK, and NADP-ME. This was confirmed by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS analysis of excised spots of 2DE analyses of the extracted protein pools. Staining for phosphorylated proteins in 2DE revealed the presence of several phosphorylated isoforms of PEPC, PPDK, and PEPCK. PMID

Biofilm inhibition mechanism from extract of Hymenocallis littoralis leaves.

PubMed

Nadaf, Naiem H; Parulekar, Rishikesh S; Patil, Rahul S; Gade, Trupti K; Momin, Anjum A; Waghmare, Shailesh R; Dhanavade, Maruti J; Arvindekar, Akalpita U; Sonawane, Kailas D

2018-04-24

-(4'', 6'' diacetylalloside)-4'- alloside, Catechin 7-O- apiofuranoside, Emodic acid, Epicatechin 3-O- β-D-glucopyranoside, 4 - Methylesculetin, Methylisoeugenol, Quercetin 5,7,3',4'-tetramethyl ether 3-rutinoside, 4 - Methylumbelliferyl β-D- glucuronide were extracted, characterized and recognized from the leaves extract of H. littoralis. The identification of these phytochemicals was performed using LC-MS. The antimicrobial property of H. littoralis leaf extract was investigated against different pathogenic microorganisms. Out of these tested microorganisms, promising antibiofilm and antimicrobial activities were confirmed against S. aureus NCIM 2654 and C. albicans NCIM 3466 by using growth curve and SEM analysis. MIC of this leaf extract was identified as 45 µg/ml and 70 µg/ml for S. aureus NCIM 2654 and C. albicans NCIM 3466 respectively. The leaves extract also showed good antioxidant activity due to presence of phenols and flavonoids. Molecular docking of these identified antibiofilm components interacts with the active site residues of adhesin proteins, Sortase A and Als3 from S. aureus and C. albicans respectively. Histological studies of extracted phytochemicals revealed non-noxious effects on rat skin. Thus, the present study revealed that the leaves extract of H. littoralis contains various phytochemicals having good extent of antimicrobial, antibiofilm and antioxidant properties. The in-vitro and in-silico results would be useful to design new lead compounds against biofilm producing pathogenic microorganisms. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Radical scavenging activities of Rio Red grapefruits and Sour orange fruit extracts in different in vitro model systems.

PubMed

Jayaprakasha, G K; Girennavar, Basavaraj; Patil, Bhimanagouda S

2008-07-01

Antioxidant fractions from two different citrus species such as Rio Red (Citrus paradise Macf.) and Sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.) were extracted with five different polar solvents using Soxhlet type extractor. The total phenolic content of the extracts was determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method. Ethyl acetate extract of Rio Red and Sour orange was found to contain maximum phenolics. The dried fractions were screened for their antioxidant activity potential using in vitro model systems such as 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), phosphomolybdenum method and nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction at different concentrations. The methanol:water (80:20) fraction of Rio Red showed the highest radical scavenging activity 42.5%, 77.8% and 92.1% at 250, 500 and 1000 ppm, respectively, while methanol:water (80:20) fraction of Sour orange showed the lowest radical scavenging activity at all the tested concentrations. All citrus fractions showed good antioxidant capacity by the formation of phosphomolybdenum complex at 200 ppm. In addition, superoxide radical scavenging activity was assayed using non-enzymatic (NADH/phenaxine methosulfate) superoxide generating system. All the extracts showed variable superoxide radical scavenging activity. Moreover, methanol:water (80:20) extract of Rio Red and methanol extract of Sour orange exhibited marked reducing power in potassium ferricyanide reduction method. The data obtained using above in vitro models clearly establish the antioxidant potential of citrus fruit extracts. However, comprehensive studies need to be conducted to ascertain the in vivo bioavailability, safety and efficacy of such extracts in experimental animals. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on antioxidant activity of different polar extracts from Rio Red and Sour oranges.

Ilexgenin A, a novel pentacyclic triterpenoid extracted from Aquifoliaceae shows reduction of LPS-induced peritonitis in mice.

PubMed

Sun, Weidong; Liu, Chang; Zhang, Yaqi; Qiu, Xia; Zhang, Li; Zhao, Hongxia; Rong, Yi; Sun, Yun

2017-02-15

Ilexgenin A (IA) is a novel pentacyclic triterpenoid, which extracted from leaves of Ilex hainanensis Merr. In the present study, we aim to explore anti-inflammatory activity of IA on LPS-induced peritonitis and its underlying molecular mechanism. The results determined that IA was capable of suppressing peritonitis in mice induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of lipopolysaccaride (LPS). Furthermore, the results showed that IA dramatically inhibited levels of inflammatory cells infiltration in peritoneal cavity and serum in LPS-induced mice peritonitis model. Besides, IA could dramatically inhibit levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) in peritoneal cavity in LPS-induced mice peritonitis model. In vitro study, the results showed that IA inhibited production of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α at transcriptional and translational levels in RAW 264.7 cells induced by LPS. Furthermore, IA could suppress the LPS-induced activation of Akt and downstream degradation and phosphorylation of kappa B-α (IκB-α). Moreover, IA could significantly inhibit ERK 1/2 phosphorylation in RAW 264.7 cells induced by LPS. These results were concurrent with molecular docking which revealed ERK1/2 inhibition. These results demonstrated that IA might as an anti-inflammatory agent candidate for inflammatory disease therapy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Doe v. Dyer-Goode.

PubMed

1989-11-29

This case came on appeal to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania after the Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County, dismissed the patient's action against a physician for performing an unauthorized AIDS test on the patient's blood. The patient had sought the physician's services for a premarital blood test. The physician performed the test, but also performed an AIDS test. The patient was told that his blood tested HIV-positive. The patient subsequently retested negative, but he sued the physician. The Superior Court ruled that the extraction of the blood was not unreasonable and that informed consent was not required. Therefore, the patient's claims of invasion of privacy and battery were dismissed. Furthermore, the Court found that the patient alleged insufficient evidence to demonstrate breach of contract, breach of duty to deal in good faith, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress claims against the physician.

Assessment of the medicinal potentials of the methanol extracts of the leaves and stems of Buddleja saligna

PubMed Central

Adedapo, Adeolu A; Jimoh, Florence O; Koduru, Srinivas; Masika, Patrick J; Afolayan, Anthony J

2009-01-01

Background Buddleja saligna Willd (Loganiaceae) is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree; trunk short, often gnarled and crooked; crown dense, rounded or domed-shaped; foliage greyish green. The wild olives are traditionally used to lower blood pressures in many parts of the world. In southern Africa, bark and leaf decoctions are used to treat colic, coughs, colds, sore eyes, urinary problems and as purgatives. Methods The antibacterial, antioxidant activities and phenolic contents of the methanol extracts of the leaves and stems of Buddleja saligna were evaluated using in vitro standard methods. Spectrophotometry was the basis for the determinations of total phenol, total flavonoids, flavonols, and proanthocyanidins. Tannins, quercetin and catechin equivalents were used for these parameters. The antioxidant activities of the leaves and stem extracts of Buddleja saligna were determined by ABTS, DPPH, and ferrous reducing antioxidant property (FRAP) methods. Laboratory isolates of 10 bacteria species which included five Gram-positive and five Gram-negative strains were used to assay for antibacterial activity of this plant. Results The antioxidant activities of the leaves as determined by the ABTS and DPPH were similar to that of the stem. The flavonoids and the flavonols contents of the leaves were higher than that of the stem but the total phenols, proanthocyanidins and FRAP activities were higher in the methanol extracts of the stem. The extracts did show activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. For instance, while the methanol extract of the leaves showed good activities on all the organisms except Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at MICs of between 2.5 and 5.0 mg/ml, the extract of the stem only showed activities on Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus pyrogens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at the same concentration. Conclusion The results from this study indicate that the leaves and stem extracts of Buddleja saligna possess

Steam distillation/drop-by-drop extraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for fast determination of volatile components in jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) extract.

PubMed

Sun, Shi-Hao; Chai, Guo-Bi; Li, Peng; Xie, Jian-Ping; Su, Yue

2017-10-13

Jujube extract is commonly used as a food additive and flavoring. The unique jujube aroma and the mild sweet aroma of the extract are critical factors that determine product quality and affect consumer acceptability. The aroma changes with changes in the extraction condition, which is typically dependent on the characteristics of volatile oils in the extract. Despite their importance, the volatile oils of jujube extract have received less attention compared with the soluble components. So, an appropriate qualitative and quantitative method for determination of the volatile oils is vitally important for quality control of the product. A method coupling steam distillation/drop-by-drop extraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (S3DE/GC-MS) was developed to determine the volatile components of jujube extract. Steam distillation was coupled with solvent extraction; the resulting condensate containing volatile components from jujube extract was drop-by-drop extracted using 2 mL of methyl tertiary butyl ether. The solvent served two purposes. First, the solvent extracted the volatile components from the condensate. Second, the volatile components were pre-concentrated by drop-by-drop accumulation in the solvent. As a result, the extraction, separation, and concentration of analytes in the sample were simultaneously completed in one step. The main parameters affecting the S3DE procedure, such as the water steam bubbling rate, extraction solvent volume, sample weight and S3DE time, were optimized. The standard addition approach was essential to obtain accurate measurements by minimizing matrix effects. Good linearity (R 2  ≥ 0.9887) and good repeatability (RSDs ≤ 10.35%, n = 5) for 16 analytes in spiked standard analyte samples were achieved. With the S3DE/GC-MS method, seventy-six volatile compounds from jujube extract were identified and the content of 16 compounds was measured. The results were similar to those from simultaneous distillation

Effect of different in vitro culture extracts of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) on toxic metabolites-producing strains.

PubMed

Ahmad, Nisar; Abbasi, Bilal Haider; Fazal, Hina

2016-03-01

In the present study, the effect of different in vitro cultures (callus, in vitro shoots) and commercially available peppercorn extract was investigated for its activity against toxic metabolite-producing strains (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Salmonella typhi, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans). These in vitro cultures were extracted with ethanol, hexane, and chloroform, and the antipathogenic activity was determined by well-diffusion method. Hexane extract of callus showed 22 mm zone of inhibition against B. cereus, 23 mm against S. aureus, while regenerated shoots and seeds have shown 24.3 and 26 mm zones of inhibition. The ethanolic extracts of regenerated Piper shoots have shown 25 mm activity against S. aureus, 21 mm against B. cereus, and 16 mm in the case of C. albicans in comparison with standard antibiotics. Peppercorn extracts in chloroform and ethanol had shown activities against B. cereus (23.6 mm) and B. subtilis (23.5 mm). During in vitro organogenesis and morphogenesis, cells and tissues produced a comparable phytochemicals profile like mother plant. Morphogenesis is critically controlled by the application of exogenous plant-growth regulators. Such addition alters the hormonal transduction pathways, and cells under in vitro conditions regenerate tissues, which are dependant on the physiological state of cells, and finally enhance the production of secondary metabolites. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to compare the antimicrobial potential of in vitro regenerated tissues and peppercorn with standard antibiotics. In conclusion, most of the extracts showed pronounced activities against all the pathogenic microbes. This is a preliminary work, and the minimum inhibitory concentration values needs to be further explored. Regenerated tissues of P. nigrum are a good source of biologically active metabolites for antimicrobial activities, and callus culture presented itself as

Extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organochlorine pesticides from soils: a comparison between Soxhlet extraction, microwave-assisted extraction and accelerated solvent extraction techniques.

PubMed

Wang, Wentao; Meng, Bingjun; Lu, Xiaoxia; Liu, Yu; Tao, Shu

2007-10-29

The methods of simultaneous extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) from soils using Soxhlet extraction, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) were established, and the extraction efficiencies using the three methods were systemically compared from procedural blank, limits of detection and quantification, method recovery and reproducibility, method chromatogram and other factors. In addition, soils with different total organic carbon contents were used to test the extraction efficiencies of the three methods. The results showed that the values obtained in this study were comparable with the values reported by other studies. In some respects such as method recovery and reproducibility, there were no significant differences among the three methods for the extraction of PAHs and OCPs. In some respects such as procedural blank and limits of detection and quantification, there were significant differences among the three methods. Overall, ASE had the best extraction efficiency compared to MAE and Soxhlet extraction, and the extraction efficiencies of MAE and Soxhlet extraction were comparable to each other depending on the property such as TOC content of the studied soil. Considering other factors such as solvent consumption and extraction time, ASE and MAE are preferable to Soxhlet extraction.

The Voltage Boost Enabled by Luminescence Extraction in Solar Cells

DOE PAGES

Ganapati, Vidya; Steiner, Myles A.; Yablonovitch, Eli

2016-07-01

Over the past few years, the application of the physical principle, i.e., 'luminescence extraction,' has produced record voltages and efficiencies in photovoltaic cells. Luminescence extraction is the use of optical design, such as a back mirror or textured surfaces, to help internal photons escape out of the front surface of a solar cell. The principle of luminescence extraction is exemplified by the mantra 'a good solar cell should also be a good LED.' Basic thermodynamics says that the voltage boost should be related to concentration ratio C of a resource by ΔV = (kT/q) ln{C}. In light trapping (i.e., when the solar cell is textured and has a perfect back mirror), the concentration ratio of photons C = {4n 2}; therefore, one would expect a voltage boost of ΔV = (kT/q) ln{4n 2} over a solar cell with no texture and zero back reflectivity, where n is the refractive index. Nevertheless, there has been ambiguity over the voltage benefit to be expected from perfect luminescence extraction. Do we gain an open-circuit voltage boost of ΔV = (kT/q) ln{n 2}, ΔV = (kT/q) ln{2 n 2}, or ΔV = (kT/q) ln{4 n 2}? What is responsible for this voltage ambiguity ΔV = (kT/q) ln{4}more » $${\\asymp}$$ 36 mV? Finally, we show that different results come about, depending on whether the photovoltaic cell is optically thin or thick to its internal luminescence. In realistic intermediate cases of optical thickness, the voltage boost falls in between: ln{n 2} < (qΔV/kT) < ln{4n 2}.« less

The Voltage Boost Enabled by Luminescence Extraction in Solar Cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ganapati, Vidya; Steiner, Myles A.; Yablonovitch, Eli

Over the past few years, the application of the physical principle, i.e., 'luminescence extraction,' has produced record voltages and efficiencies in photovoltaic cells. Luminescence extraction is the use of optical design, such as a back mirror or textured surfaces, to help internal photons escape out of the front surface of a solar cell. The principle of luminescence extraction is exemplified by the mantra 'a good solar cell should also be a good LED.' Basic thermodynamics says that the voltage boost should be related to concentration ratio C of a resource by ΔV = (kT/q) ln{C}. In light trapping (i.e., when the solar cell is textured and has a perfect back mirror), the concentration ratio of photons C = {4n 2}; therefore, one would expect a voltage boost of ΔV = (kT/q) ln{4n 2} over a solar cell with no texture and zero back reflectivity, where n is the refractive index. Nevertheless, there has been ambiguity over the voltage benefit to be expected from perfect luminescence extraction. Do we gain an open-circuit voltage boost of ΔV = (kT/q) ln{n 2}, ΔV = (kT/q) ln{2 n 2}, or ΔV = (kT/q) ln{4 n 2}? What is responsible for this voltage ambiguity ΔV = (kT/q) ln{4}more » $${\\asymp}$$ 36 mV? Finally, we show that different results come about, depending on whether the photovoltaic cell is optically thin or thick to its internal luminescence. In realistic intermediate cases of optical thickness, the voltage boost falls in between: ln{n 2} < (qΔV/kT) < ln{4n 2}.« less

Rapid and quantitative determination of 10 major active components in Lonicera japonica Thunb. by ultrahigh pressure extraction-HPLC/DAD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Li; Lin, Changhu; Duan, Wenjuan; Wang, Xiao; Liu, Jianhua; Liu, Feng

2015-01-01

An ultrahigh pressure extraction (UPE)-high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/diode array detector (DAD) method was established to evaluate the quality of Lonicera japonica Thunb. Ten active components, including neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, 4-dicaffeoylquinic acid, caffeic acid, rutin, luteoloside, isochlorogenic acid B, isochlorogenic acid A, isochlorogenic acid C, and quercetin, were qualitatively evaluated and quantitatively determined. Scanning electron microscope images elucidated the bud surface microstructure and extraction mechanism. The optimal extraction conditions of the UPE were 60% methanol solution, 400 MPa of extraction pressure, 3 min of extraction time, and 1:30 (g/mL) solid:liquid ratio. Under the optimized conditions, the total extraction yield of 10 active components was 57.62 mg/g. All the components showed good linearity (r2 ≥ 0.9994) and recoveries. This method was successfully applied to quantify 10 components in 22 batches of L. japonica samples from different areas. Compared with heat reflux extraction and ultrasonic-assisted extraction, UPE can be considered as an alternative extraction technique for fast extraction of active ingredient from L. japonica.

Visual feature extraction and establishment of visual tags in the intelligent visual internet of things

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yiqun; Wang, Zhihui

2015-12-01

The Internet of things (IOT) is a kind of intelligent networks which can be used to locate, track, identify and supervise people and objects. One of important core technologies of intelligent visual internet of things ( IVIOT) is the intelligent visual tag system. In this paper, a research is done into visual feature extraction and establishment of visual tags of the human face based on ORL face database. Firstly, we use the principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm for face feature extraction, then adopt the support vector machine (SVM) for classifying and face recognition, finally establish a visual tag for face which is already classified. We conducted a experiment focused on a group of people face images, the result show that the proposed algorithm have good performance, and can show the visual tag of objects conveniently.

Amoebicidal, antimicrobial and in vitro ROS scavenging activities of Tunisian Rubus ulmifolius Schott, methanolic extract.

PubMed

Hajaji, Soumaya; Jabri, Mohamed-Amine; Sifaoui, Ines; López-Arencibia, Atteneri; Reyes-Batlle, María; B'chir, Fatma; Valladares, Basilio; Pinero, José E; Lorenzo-Morales, Jacob; Akkari, Hafidh

2017-12-01

The present study aimed to evaluate the activity of methanolic extract of Rubus ulmifolius Schott against the Acanthamoeba castellani Neff Strain as well as its antioxidant and antimicrobial effects. The tested extract has a good amoebicidal activity with low IC 50 (61.785 ± 1.322 μg/ml) and also has significant activity against both Gram-positive (S. aureus, S. agalactiae) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli, S. typhimurium) and against C. albicans. The inhibition zones diameters (IZD) and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were in the range of 22.5-50 mm and 02.29-4.76 mg ml -1 , respectively. In the other hand, the in vitro ROS scavenging activity was evaluated, the tested extract exhibited a good effect on the ·OH radical (89.99% at a concentration of 100 μg/ml) when compared to the ascorbic acid (68.81%). Moreover, the inhibition percentage of superoxide generation by R. ulmifolius extract at 100 μg/ml was greater than ascorbic acid (79.55; 64.79%, respectively). Also, the tested extract showed a high percentage of H 2 O 2 scavenging activity (99.95% at 100 μg/ml). Our findings suggest that R. ulmifolius could be a potential source of natural antioxidant in preventing many diseases associated with oxidative stress, amoebic and bacterial infections. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of a process for the extraction of {sup 137}Cs from acidic HLLW based on crown-calix extractant use of di-alkylamide modifier

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alexova, J.; Sirova, M.; Rais, J.

2008-07-01

Within the framework of the ARTIST project of total fuel retreatment with ecological mixtures of solvents and extractants containing only C, H, O, and N atoms, a process segment of extraction of {sup 137}Cs from acidic stream was developed. The process with 25,27-Bis(1-octyloxy)calix[4]arene-crown- 6, DOC[4]C6, dissolved at its 0.01 M concentration in a mixture of 90 vol % 1-octanol and 10% dihexyl octanamide, DHOA was proposed as a viable variant due to its good multicycle performance, even with irradiated solvent, and due to the good chemical stability of the chosen combination of solvent mixture. (authors)

Towards a realistic 3D simulation of the extraction region in ITER NBI relevant ion source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mochalskyy, S.; Wünderlich, D.; Fantz, U.; Franzen, P.; Minea, T.

2015-03-01

The development of negative ion (NI) sources for ITER is strongly accompanied by modelling activities. The ONIX code addresses the physics of formation and extraction of negative hydrogen ions at caesiated sources as well as the amount of co-extracted electrons. In order to be closer to the experimental conditions the code has been improved. It includes now the bias potential applied to first grid (plasma grid) of the extraction system, and the presence of Cs+ ions in the plasma. The simulation results show that such aspects play an important role for the formation of an ion-ion plasma in the boundary region by reducing the depth of the negative potential well in vicinity to the plasma grid that limits the extraction of the NIs produced at the Cs covered plasma grid surface. The influence of the initial temperature of the surface produced NI and its emission rate on the NI density in the bulk plasma that in turn affects the beam formation region was analysed. The formation of the plasma meniscus, the boundary between the plasma and the beam, was investigated for the extraction potentials of 5 and 10 kV. At the smaller extraction potential the meniscus moves closer to the plasma grid but as in the case of 10 kV the deepest meniscus bend point is still outside of the aperture. Finally, a plasma containing the same amount of NI and electrons (nH- =ne =1017 m-3) , representing good source conditioning, was simulated. It is shown that at such conditions the extracted NI current can reach values of ˜32 mA cm-2 using ITER-relevant extraction potential of 10 kV and ˜19 mA cm-2 at 5 kV. These results are in good agreement with experimental measurements performed at the small scale ITER prototype source at the test facility BATMAN.

Extraction of intracellular protein from Glaciozyma antarctica for proteomics analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faizura, S. Nor; Farahayu, K.; Faizal, A. B. Mohd; Asmahani, A. A. S.; Amir, R.; Nazalan, N.; Diba, A. B. Farah; Muhammad, M. Nor; Munir, A. M. Abdul

2013-11-01

Two preparation methods of crude extracts of psychrophilic yeast Glaciozyma antarctica were compared in order to obtain a good recovery of intracellular proteins. Extraction with mechanical procedures using sonication was found to be more effective for obtaining good yield compare to alkaline treatment method. The procedure is simple, rapid, and produce better yield. A total of 52 proteins were identified by combining both extraction methods. Most of the proteins identified in this study involves in the metabolic process including glycolysis pathway, pentose phosphate pathway, pyruyate decarboxylation and also urea cyle. Several chaperons were identified including probable cpr1-cyclophilin (peptidylprolyl isomerase), macrolide-binding protein fkbp12 and heat shock proteins which were postulate to accelerate proper protein folding. Characteristic of the fundamental cellular processes inferred from the expressed-proteome highlight the evolutionary and functional complexity existing in this domain of life.

Optimisation of the supercritical extraction of toxic elements in fish oil.

PubMed

Hajeb, P; Jinap, S; Shakibazadeh, Sh; Afsah-Hejri, L; Mohebbi, G H; Zaidul, I S M

2014-01-01

This study aims to optimise the operating conditions for the supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of toxic elements from fish oil. The SFE operating parameters of pressure, temperature, CO2 flow rate and extraction time were optimised using a central composite design (CCD) of response surface methodology (RSM). High coefficients of determination (R²) (0.897-0.988) for the predicted response surface models confirmed a satisfactory adjustment of the polynomial regression models with the operation conditions. The results showed that the linear and quadratic terms of pressure and temperature were the most significant (p < 0.05) variables affecting the overall responses. The optimum conditions for the simultaneous elimination of toxic elements comprised a pressure of 61 MPa, a temperature of 39.8ºC, a CO₂ flow rate of 3.7 ml min⁻¹ and an extraction time of 4 h. These optimised SFE conditions were able to produce fish oil with the contents of lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury reduced by up to 98.3%, 96.1%, 94.9% and 93.7%, respectively. The fish oil extracted under the optimised SFE operating conditions was of good quality in terms of its fatty acid constituents.

Extraction and characterization of gelatin biopolymer from black tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) scales

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sockalingam, K., E-mail: gd130106@siswa.uthm.edu.my; Abdullah, H. Z., E-mail: hasan@uthm.edu.my

2015-07-22

Black tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) fish wastes (scales) were evaluated for its suitability as sources of gelatin. Scales were subjected to acid treatment for demineralization before it undergoes thermal extraction process. The raw scales were characterized via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), which demarcated the cycloid pattern of the scales. SEM images also reveal the presence of collagen fiber in the fish scale. The black tilapia fish scales yields 11.88 % of gelatin, indicating the possibility of this fish species as sources of gelatin. Further characterizations were done on both raw scale and extracted gelatin through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) andmore » proximate analysis. The scale gelatin shows high protein content (86.9 %) with low moisture (8.2 %) and ash (1.4 %). This further proves the effectiveness of the demineralization and extraction method used. The black tilapia fish scale is found to be a prospective source of gelatin with good chemical and functional properties.« less

Antioxidant Capacity of the Leaf Extract Obtained from Arrabidaea chica Cultivated in Southern Brazil

PubMed Central

Siraichi, Jackeline Tiemy Guinoza; Felipe, Daniele Fernanda; Brambilla, Lara Zampar Serra; Gatto, Melissa Junqueira; Terra, Vânia Aparecida; Cecchini, Alessandra Lourenco; Cortez, Lucia Elaine Ranieri; Rodrigues-Filho, Edson; Cortez, Diógenes Aparício Garcia

2013-01-01

Arrabidaea chica leaf extract has been used by people as an anti-inflammatory and astringent agent as well as a remedy for intestinal colic, diarrhea, leucorrhea, anemia, and leukemia. A. chica is known to be a good producer of phenolics. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated its antioxidant activity. The phenolic composition of A. chica leaves was studied by liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection (LC–DAD) and liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ESI-MS/MS), and isoscutellarein, 6-hydroxyluteolin, hispidulin, scutellarein, luteolin, and apigenin were identified. The extract from leaves of A. chica was tested for antioxidant activity using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method, β-carotene bleaching test, and total reactive antioxidant potential (TRAP) method. The crude extract quenched DPPH free radicals in a dose-dependent manner, and the IC50 of the extract was 13.51 µg/mL. The β-carotene bleaching test showed that the addition of the A. chica extract in different concentrations (200 and 500 µg/mL) prevented the bleaching of β-carotene at different degrees (51.2% ±3.38% and 94% ±4.61%, respectively). The TRAP test showed dose-dependent correlation between the increasing concentrations of A. chica extract (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 µg/mL) and the TRAP values obtained by trolox (hydro-soluble vitamin E) 0.4738±0.0466, 1.981±0.1603, and 6.877±1.445 µM, respectively. The 2 main flavonoids, scutellarein and apigenin, were separated, and their antioxidant activity was found to be the same as that of the plant extract. These 2 flavonoids were quantified in the plant extract by using a validated HPLC-UV method. The results of these tests showed that the extract of A. chica had a significant antioxidant activity, which could be attributed to the presence of the mixture of flavonoids in the plant extract, with the main contribution of scutellarein and apigenin. PMID:24009700

Anti-fungal activity of cold and hot water extracts of spices against fungal pathogens of Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) in vitro.

PubMed

Touba, Eslaminejad Parizi; Zakaria, Maziah; Tahereh, Eslaminejad

2012-02-01

Crude extracts of seven spices, viz. cardamom, chilli, coriander, onion, garlic, ginger, and galangale were made using cold water and hot water extraction and they were tested for their anti-fungal effects against the three Roselle pathogens i.e. Phoma exigua, Fusarium nygamai and Rhizoctonia solani using the 'poisoned food technique'. All seven spices studied showed significant anti-fungal activity at three concentrations (10, 20 and 30% of the crude extract) in-vitro. The cold water extract of garlic exhibited good anti-fungal activity against all three tested fungi. In the case of the hot water extracts, garlic and ginger showed the best anti-fungal activity. Of the two extraction methods, cold water extraction was generally more effective than hot water extraction in controlling the pathogens. Against P. exigua, the 10% cold water extracts of galangale, ginger, coriander and cardamom achieved total (100%) inhibition of pathogen mycelial growth. Total inhibition of F. nygamai mycelial growth was similarly achieved with the 10% cold water extracts garlic. Against R. solani, the 10% cold water extract of galangale was effective in imposing 100% inhibition. Accordingly, the 10% galangale extract effectively controlled both P. exigua and R. solani in vitro. None of the hot water extracts of the spices succeeded in achieving 100% inhibition of the pathogen mycelial growth. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antioxidant Properties of Artemisia annua Extracts in Model Food Emulsions

PubMed Central

Skowyra, Monika; Gallego, Maria Gabriela; Segovia, Francisco; Almajano, Maria Pilar

2014-01-01

Artemisia annua is currently the only commercial source of the sesquiterpene lactone artemisinin. Although artemisinin is a major bioactive component present in this Chinese herb, leaf flavonoids have shown a variety of biological activities. The polyphenolic profile of extract from leaves of A. annua was assessed as a source of natural antioxidants. Total phenolic content and total flavonoid content were established and three assays were used to measure the antioxidant capacity of the plant extract. The measurement of scavenging capacity against the 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) radical cation, the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were 314.99 µM Trolox equivalents (TE)/g DW, 736.26 µM TE/g DW and 212.18 µM TE/g DW, respectively. A. annua extracts also showed good antioxidant properties in 10% sunflower oil-in-water emulsions during prolonged storage (45 days) at 32 °C. Artemisia extract at 2 g/L was as effective as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) at 0.02 g/L in slowing down the formation of hydroperoxides as measured by peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. The results of this study indicate that extract of A. annua may be suitable for use in the food matrix as substitutes for synthetic antioxidants. PMID:26784667

The Voltage Boost Enabled by Luminescence Extraction in Solar Cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ganapati, Vidya; Steiner, Myles A.; Yablonovitch, Eli

A new physical principle has emerged to produce record voltages and efficiencies in photovoltaic cells, 'luminescence extraction.' This is exemplified by the mantra 'a good solar cell should also be a good LED.' Luminescence extraction is the escape of internal photons out of the front surface of a solar cell. Basic thermodynamics says that the voltage boost should be related to concentration ratio, C, of a resource by ..delta..V=(kT/q)ln{C}. In light trapping, (i.e. when the solar cell is textured and has a perfect back mirror) the concentration ratio of photons C={4n2}, so one would expect a voltage boost of ..delta..V=kTmore » ln{4n2} over a solar cell with no texture and zero back reflectivity, where n is the refractive index. Nevertheless, there has been ambiguity over the voltage benefit to be expected from perfect luminescence extraction. Do we gain an open circuit voltage boost of ..delta..V=(kT/q)ln{n2}, ..delta..V=(kT/q)ln{2n2}, or ..delta..V=(kT/q)ln{4n2}? What is responsible for this voltage ambiguity ..delta..V=(kT/q)ln{4}=36mVolts? We show that different results come about, depending on whether the photovoltaic cell is optically thin or thick to its internal luminescence. In realistic intermediate cases of optical thickness the voltage boost falls in between; ln{n2}q..delta..V/kT)<;ln{4n2}.« less

Antibacterial activity of crude methanolic extract and various fractions of Vitex agnus castus and Myrsine africana against clinical isolates of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

Ahmad, Bashir; Hafeez, Nabia; Ara, Gulshan; Azam, Sadiq; Bashir, Shumaila; Khan, Ibrar

2016-11-01

Staphylococcus aureus is a nosocomial pathogen that resides in the soft tissues causing many diseases. The current study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Methicillin Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in ear discharge and pus of patients and antibacterial activity of crude methanolic extract (Cr. MeOH Ext.) and various fractions of M. Africana and V. agnus castus against clinical isolates of MRSA. A total of 40 samples were collected from ear, nose and throat (ENT) outpatient department and wards of Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH), Peshawar. Out of 40 samples, 36 (90%) samples showed growth on Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) media out of which 9(25%) were MRSA and the remaining 27(75%) were methicillin susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). A good antibacterial activity was observed for the Cr. MeOH Ext. (76.1%) and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction of V. agnus castus against S11 (71.4%). The n-hexane fraction also showed good antibacterial effect (70%) against S 26 . The chloroform (CHCl3), butanol (BuOH) and aqueous fractions of M. africana showed good antibacterial activity against S 11 (71.4%), S32 (70%) and S 26 (75%), respectively. The above results revealed that the selected plants can be further utilized for isolation of the active ingredients as the crude extracts were found good for inhibition of MRSA.

Antibacterial Potential of Northeastern Portugal Wild Plant Extracts and Respective Phenolic Compounds

PubMed Central

Ferreira, Isabel C. F. R.; Barros, Lillian; Carvalho, Ana Maria; Soares, Graça; Henriques, Mariana

2014-01-01

The present work aims to assess the antibacterial potential of phenolic extracts, recovered from plants obtained on the North East of Portugal, and of their phenolic compounds (ellagic, caffeic, and gallic acids, quercetin, kaempferol, and rutin), against bacteria commonly found on skin infections. The disk diffusion and the susceptibility assays were used to identify the most active extracts and phenolic compounds. The effect of selected phenolic compounds on animal cells was assessed by determination of cellular metabolic activity. Gallic acid had a higher activity, against gram-positive (S. epidermidis and S. aureus) and gram-negative bacteria (K. pneumoniae) at lower concentrations, than the other compounds. The caffeic acid, also, showed good antibacterial activity against the 3 bacteria used. The gallic acid was effective against the 3 bacteria without causing harm to the animal cells. Gallic and caffeic acid showed a promising applicability as antibacterial agents for the treatment of infected wounds. PMID:24804249

Extraction and free radical scavenging activity of polysaccharide from 'Anji Baicha' (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze).

PubMed

Zhang, Zhongshan; Wang, Xiaomei; Li, Jingfen; Wang, Guozhi; Mao, Genxiang

2016-03-01

In this study, the optimization of the extraction conditions of polysaccharide from 'Anji Baicha' (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) (AP) was investigated by response surface methodology (RSM). Three main independent variables (extraction temperature, time, ratio of water to raw material) were taken into consideration. And then the free radical scavenging activities of the sample were investigated including scavenging effects of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. The RSM analysis showed good correspondence between experimental and predicted values.. The optimal condition to obtain the highest yield of AP was determined as follows: temperature 76.79 °C, time 2.48 h, ratio of water to material 22.53 mL/g. For the free radical scavenging activity, the IC50 values of Vc and AP were 7.78 and 83.25 μg/mL. And for the scavenging effect on hydroxyl radical, that of AP and Vc were 1.80 and 1.69 mg/mL. AP showed excellent antioxidant activity. This exhibited AP had a good potential for antioxidant. The purification and structure needs to be study in further. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antimicrobial activity of extracts from Tamarindus indica L. leaves

PubMed Central

Escalona-Arranz, Julio César; Péres-Roses, Renato; Urdaneta-Laffita, Imilci; Camacho-Pozo, Miladis Isabel; Rodríguez-Amado, Jesús; Licea-Jiménez, Irina

2010-01-01

Tamarindus indica L. leaves are reported worldwide as antibacterial and antifungal agents; however, this observation is not completely accurate in the case of Cuba. In this article, decoctions from fresh and sun dried leaves, as well as fluid extracts prepared with 30 and 70% ethanol-water and the pure essential oil from tamarind leaves were microbiologically tested against Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomona aeruginosa and Candida albicans. Aqueous and fluid extracts were previously characterized by spectrophotometric determination of their total phenols and flavonoids, while the essential oil was chemically evaluated by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS). Experimental data suggest phenols as active compounds against B. subtilis cultures, but not against other microorganisms. On the other hand, the essential oil exhibited a good antimicrobial spectrum when pure, but its relative low concentrations in common folk preparations do not allow for any good activity in these extracts. PMID:20931087

[Investigation on Inhibitory Capacities of Seventeen Herbal Extracts on Oxidative Stress using Ultraviolet and Fluorescence Spectroscopy].

PubMed

Hou, Guang-yue; Zheng, Zhong; Song, Feng-rui; Liu, Zhi-qiang; Zhao, Bing

2015-03-01

Diabetic patients usually suffer from complications and the long-term secondary complications are the main cause of morbidity and mortality. The hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress is one of the important pathogenesis of diabetic complications, while the oxidative stress is associated with the lipid peroxidation reaction and the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Our study was focus on the pathogenesis of diabetic complications and based on the oxidative stress reaction. In this research, the oxidative stress inhibiting effects of seventeen herbal extracts were studied based on spectroscopic methodology. The capacities of herbal extracts against the lipid peroxidation reaction of rat liver in vitro were investigated using spectrophotometric method. It showed that the inhibitory activity of Radix Scutellariae and Flos Sophorae Immaturus were better than other herbal extracts. Additionally, the herbal extracts rich in flavonoids, alkaloids and lignanoids showed good inhibitory activities on the lipid peroxidation reaction. On the contrary, the saponin-rich herbal extracts possessed weak inhibitory effects. We applied the BSA/glucose (fructose) system combined with fluorescent spectroscopy to determine the inhibitory activities of herbal extracts in glycation model reactions. The results showed that the AGEs formation inhibitory activity of Flos Sophorae Immaturus, Radix Scutellariae and Rhizoma Anemarrhenae were better than others in the BSA/glucose (fructose) system by fluorescene analysis. The results demonstrated that the herbal extracts rich in flavonoids were found to be more effective than that of those herbal extracts as alkaloids and terpenoids class in inhibiting oxidative stress, while the saponin-rich herbal extracts showed weak inhibitory activities against oxidative stress. The Flos Sophorae Immaturus and Radix Scutellariae extracts had better inhibitory activity to the oxidative stress, so their pharmacological activity could be

Selective extraction of bisphenol A from water by one-monomer molecularly imprinted magnetic nanoparticles.

PubMed

Lin, Zhenkun; Zhang, Yanfang; Su, Yu; Qi, Jinxia; Jia, Yinhang; Huang, Changjiang; Dong, Qiaoxiang

2018-01-15

One-monomer molecularly imprinted magnetic nanoparticles were prepared as adsorbents for selective extraction of bisphenol A from water in this study. A single bi-functional monomer was adopted for preparation of the molecularly imprinted polymer, avoiding the tedious trial-and-error optimizations as traditional strategy. Moreover, bisphenol F was used as the dummy template for bisphenol A to avoid the interference from residual template molecules. These nanoparticles showed not only large adsorption capacity and good selectivity to the bisphenol A but also outstanding magnetic response performance. Furthermore, they were successfully used as magnetic solid-phase extraction adsorbents of bisphenol A from various water samples, including tap water, river water, and seawater. The developed method was found to be much more efficient, convenient, and economical for selective extraction of bisphenol A compared with the traditional solid-phase extraction. Separation of these nanoparticles can be easily achieved with an external magnetic field, and the optimized adsorption time was only 15 min. The recoveries of bisphenol A in different water samples ranged from 85.38 to 93.75%, with relative standard deviation lower than 7.47%. These results showed that one-monomer molecularly imprinted magnetic nanoparticles had the potential to be popular adsorbents for selective extraction of pollutants from water. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Antiglycation, antioxidant and toxicological potential of polyphenol extracts of alligator pepper, ginger and nutmeg from Nigeria

PubMed Central

Kazeem, MI; Akanji, MA; Hafizur, Rahman M; Choudhary, MI

2012-01-01

Objective To evaluate the antioxidant and antiglycation potential of polyphenols from three spices; alligator pepper, ginger and nutmeg. Methods Polyphenol extracts of these spices were subjected to brine-shrimp lethality assay, phytotoxicity test, DPPH and superoxide anion radical scavenging as well as BSA-glucose antiglycation assay. Results Results obtained showed that polyphenol extract of ginger has the highest antioxidant potential with IC50 0.075 and 0.070 mg/mL for DPPH and superoxide anion radical scavenging assay while alligator pepper displayed highest antiglycation activity with IC50 0.125 mg/mL. However, nutmeg extract exhibited weakest cytotoxic and phytotoxic potential with LD50 4359.70 and 1490 µg/mL respectively. Conclusions It can be concluded that the polyphenol extracts of alligator pepper, ginger and nutmeg displayed good antioxidant as well as antiglycation potential and are safe for consumption. PMID:23570003

Carotenoids, Fatty Acid Composition and Heat Stability of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide-Extracted-Oleoresins

PubMed Central

Longo, Cristiano; Leo, Lucia; Leone, Antonella

2012-01-01

The risk of chronic diseases has been shown to be inversely related to tomato intake and the lycopene levels in serum and tissue. Cis-isomers represent approximately 50%–80% of serum lycopene, while dietary lycopene maintains the isomeric ratio present in the plant sources with about 95% of all-trans-lycopene. Supercritical CO2 extraction (S-CO2) has been extensively developed to extract lycopene from tomato and tomato processing wastes, for food or pharmaceutical industries, also by using additional plant sources as co-matrices. We compared two S-CO2-extracted oleoresins (from tomato and tomato/hazelnut matrices), which showed an oil-solid bi-phasic appearance, a higher cis-lycopene content, and enhanced antioxidant ability compared with the traditional solvent extracts. Heat-treating, in the range of 60–100 °C, led to changes in the lycopene isomeric composition and to enhanced antioxidant activity in both types of oleoresins. The greater stability has been related to peculiar lycopene isomer composition and to the lipid environment. The results indicate these oleoresins are a good source of potentially healthful lycopene. PMID:22605975

Simulation of Subsurface Multiphase Contaminant Extraction Using a Bioslurping Well Model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matos de Souza, Michelle; Oostrom, Mart; White, Mark D.

2016-07-12

Subsurface simulation of multiphase extraction from wells is notoriously difficult. Explicit representation of well geometry requires small grid resolution, potentially leading to large computational demands. To reduce the problem dimensionality, multiphase extraction is mostly modeled using vertically-averaged approaches. In this paper, a multiphase well model approach is presented as an alternative to simplify the application. The well model, a multiphase extension of the classic Peaceman model, has been implemented in the STOMP simulator. The numerical solution approach accounts for local conditions and gradients in the exchange of fluids between the well and the aquifer. Advantages of this well model implementationmore » include the option to simulate the effects of well characteristics and operation. Simulations were conducted investigating the effects of extraction location, applied vacuum pressure, and a number of hydraulic properties. The obtained results were all consistent and logical. A major outcome of the test simulations is that, in contrast with common recommendations to extract from either the gas-NAPL or the NAPL-aqueous phase interface, the optimum extraction location should be in between these two levels. The new model implementation was also used to simulate extraction at a field site in Brazil. The simulation shows a good match with the field data, suggesting that the new STOMP well module may correctly represent oil removal. The field simulations depend on the quality of the site conceptual model, including the porous media and contaminant properties and the boundary and extraction conditions adopted. The new module may potentially be used to design field applications and analyze extraction data.« less

Cellulose extraction from orange peel using sulfite digestion reagents.

PubMed

Bicu, Ioan; Mustata, Fanica

2011-11-01

Orange peel (OP) was used as raw material for cellulose extraction. Two different pulping reagents were used, sodium sulfite and sodium metabisulfite. The effect of the main process parameters, sulfite agent dosage and reaction duration, on cellulose yield was investigated. A central composite rotatable design involving two variables at five levels and response surface methodology were used for the optimization of cellulose recovery. Other two invariable parameters were reaction temperature and hydromodulus. The optimum yields, referred to the weight of double extracted OP, were 40.4% and 45.2% for sodium sulfite and sodium metabisulfite digestions, respectively. The crude celluloses were bleached with hypochlorite and oxygen. The physicochemical characterization data of these cellulose materials indicate good levels of purity, low crystallinities, good whitenesses, good water retention and moderate molecular weights. According to these specific properties the recovered celluloses could be used as fillers, water absorbents, or as raw materials for cellulose derivatives. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DSA Image Blood Vessel Skeleton Extraction Based on Anti-concentration Diffusion and Level Set Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jing; Wu, Jian; Feng, Daming; Cui, Zhiming

Serious types of vascular diseases such as carotid stenosis, aneurysm and vascular malformation may lead to brain stroke, which are the third leading cause of death and the number one cause of disability. In the clinical practice of diagnosis and treatment of cerebral vascular diseases, how to do effective detection and description of the vascular structure of two-dimensional angiography sequence image that is blood vessel skeleton extraction has been a difficult study for a long time. This paper mainly discussed two-dimensional image of blood vessel skeleton extraction based on the level set method, first do the preprocessing to the DSA image, namely uses anti-concentration diffusion model for the effective enhancement and uses improved Otsu local threshold segmentation technology based on regional division for the image binarization, then vascular skeleton extraction based on GMM (Group marching method) with fast sweeping theory was actualized. Experiments show that our approach not only improved the time complexity, but also make a good extraction results.

Chromatographic finger print analysis of anti-inflammatory active extract fractions of aerial parts of Tribulus terrestris by HPTLC technique.

PubMed

Mohammed, Mona Salih; Alajmi, Mohamed Fahad; Alam, Perwez; Khalid, Hassan Subki; Mahmoud, Abelkhalig Muddathir; Ahmed, Wadah Jamal

2014-03-01

To develop HPTLC fingerprint profile of anti-inflammatory active extract fractions of Tribulus terrestris (family Zygophyllaceae). The anti-inflammatory activity was tested for the methanol and its fractions (chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous) and chloroform extract of Tribulus terrestris (aerial parts) by injecting different groups of rats (6 each) with carrageenan in hind paw and measuring the edema volume before and 1, 2 and 3 h after carrageenan injection. Control group received saline i.p. The extracts treatment was injected i.p. in doses of 200 mg/kg 1 h before carrageenan administration. Indomethacin (30 mg/kg) was used as standard. HPTLC studies were carried out using CAMAG HPTLC system equipped with Linomat IV applicator, TLC scanner 3, Reprostar 3, CAMAG ADC 2 and WIN CATS-4 software for the active fractions of chloroform fraction of methanol extract. The methanol extract showed good antiedematous effect with percentage of inhibition more than 72%, indicating its ability to inhibit the inflammatory mediators. The methanol extract was re-dissolved in 100 mL of distilled water and fractionated with chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. The four fractions (chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous) were subjected to anti-inflammatory activity. Chloroform fraction showed good anti-inflammatory activity at dose of 200 mg/kg. Chloroform fraction was then subjected to normal phase silica gel column chromatography and eluted with petroleum ether-chloroform, chloroform-ethyl acetate mixtures of increasing polarity which produced 15 fractions (F1-F15). Only fractions F1, F2, F4, F5, F7, F9, F11 and F14 were found to be active, hence these were analyzed with HPTLC to develop their finger print profile. These fractions showed different spots with different Rf values. The different chloroform fractions F1, F2, F4, F5, F7, F9, F11 and F14 revealed 4, 7, 7, 8, 9, 7, 7 and 6 major spots, respectively. The results obtained in this experiment

A bioinspired polydopamine approach toward the preparation of gold-modified magnetic nanoparticles for the magnetic solid-phase extraction of steroids in multiple samples.

PubMed

An, Xuehan; Chai, Weibo; Deng, Xiaojuan; Chen, Hui; Ding, Guosheng

2018-05-02

In this work, a simple, facile, and sensitive magnetic solid-phase extraction method was developed for the extraction and enrichment of three representative steroid hormones before high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Gold-modified Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles, as novel magnetic adsorbents, were prepared by a rapid and environmentally friendly procedure in which polydopamine served as the reductant as well as the stabilizer for the gold nanoparticles, thus successfully avoiding the use of some toxic reagents. To obtain maximum extraction efficiency, several significant factors affecting the preconcentration steps, including the amount of adsorbent, extraction time, pH of the sample solution, and the desorption conditions, were optimized, and the enrichment factors for three steroids were all higher than 90. The validity of the established method was evaluated and good analytical characteristics were obtained. A wide linearity range (0.8-500 μg/L for all the analytes) was attained with good correlation (R 2  ≥ 0.991). The low limits of detection were 0.20-0.25 μg/L, and the relative standard deviations ranged from 0.83 to 4.63%, demonstrating a good precision. The proposed method was also successfully applied to the extraction and analysis of steroids in urine, milk, and water samples with satisfactory results, which showed its reliability and feasibility in real sample analysis. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Metabolite extraction from adherently growing mammalian cells for metabolomics studies: optimization of harvesting and extraction protocols.

PubMed

Dettmer, Katja; Nürnberger, Nadine; Kaspar, Hannelore; Gruber, Michael A; Almstetter, Martin F; Oefner, Peter J

2011-01-01

Trypsin/ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) treatment and cell scraping in a buffer solution were compared for harvesting adherently growing mammalian SW480 cells for metabolomics studies. In addition, direct scraping with a solvent was tested. Trypsinated and scraped cell pellets were extracted using seven different extraction protocols including pure methanol, methanol/water, pure acetone, acetone/water, methanol/chloroform/water, methanol/isopropanol/water, and acid-base methanol. The extracts were analyzed by GC-MS after methoximation/silylation and derivatization with propyl chloroformate, respectively. The metabolic fingerprints were compared and 25 selected metabolites including amino acids and intermediates of energy metabolism were quantitatively determined. Moreover, the influence of freeze/thaw cycles, ultrasonication and homogenization using ceramic beads on extraction yield was tested. Pure acetone yielded the lowest extraction efficiency while methanol, methanol/water, methanol/isopropanol/water, and acid-base methanol recovered similar metabolite amounts with good reproducibility. Based on overall performance, methanol/water was chosen as a suitable extraction solvent. Repeated freeze/thaw cycles, ultrasonication and homogenization did not improve overall metabolite yield of the methanol/water extraction. Trypsin/EDTA treatment caused substantial metabolite leakage proving it inadequate for metabolomics studies. Gentle scraping of the cells in a buffer solution and subsequent extraction with methanol/water resulted on average in a sevenfold lower recovery of quantified metabolites compared with direct scraping using methanol/water, making the latter one the method of choice to harvest and extract metabolites from adherently growing mammalian SW480 cells.

Biofabrication of Ag nanoparticles using Moringa oleifera leaf extract and their antimicrobial activity

PubMed Central

Prasad, TNVKV; Elumalai, EK

2011-01-01

Objective To formulate a simple rapid procedure for bioreduction of silver nanoparticles using aqueous leaves extract of Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera). Methods 10 mL of leaf extract was mixed to 90 mL of 1 mM aqueous of AgNO3 and was heated at 60 - 80 °C for 20 min. A change from brown to reddish color was observed. Characterization using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) was performed. Results TEM showed the formation of silver nanoparticles with an average size of 57 nm. Conclusions M. oleifera demonstrates strong potential for synthesis of silver nanoparticles by rapid reduction of silver ions (Ag+ to Ag0). Biological methods are good competents for the chemical procedures, which are eco-friendly and convenient. PMID:23569809

Magnetic N-doped mesoporous carbon as an adsorbent for the magnetic solid-phase extraction of phthalate esters from soft drinks.

PubMed

Li, Menghua; Jiao, Caina; Yang, Xiumin; Wang, Chun; Wu, Qiuhua; Wang, Zhi

2017-04-01

A new kind of magnetic N-doped mesoporous carbon was prepared by the one-step carbonization of a hybrid precursor (glucose, melamine, and iron chloride) in a N 2 atmosphere with a eutectic salt (KCl/ZnCl 2 ) as the porogen. The obtained magnetic N-doped mesoporous carbon showed excellent characteristics, such as strong magnetic response, high surface area, large pore volume, and abundant π-electron system, which endow it with a great potential as a magnetic solid-phase extraction adsorbent. To evaluate its adsorption performance, the magnetic N-doped mesoporous carbon was used for the extraction of three phthalate esters from soft drink samples followed by high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis. Under the optimum conditions, the developed method showed a good linearity (1.0-120.0 ng/mL), low limit of detection (0.1-0.3 ng/mL, S/N = 3), and good recoveries (83.2-119.0%) in soft drink samples. The results indicated that the magnetic N-doped mesoporous carbon has an excellent adsorption capacity for phthalate esters and the present method is simple, accurate, and highly efficient for the extraction and determination of phthalate esters in complex matrix samples. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Intensification of extraction of curcumin from Curcuma amada using ultrasound assisted approach: Effect of different operating parameters.

PubMed

Shirsath, S R; Sable, S S; Gaikwad, S G; Sonawane, S H; Saini, D R; Gogate, P R

2017-09-01

Curcumin, a dietary phytochemical, has been extracted from rhizomes of Curcuma amada using ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) and the results compared with the conventional extraction approach to establish the process intensification benefits. The effect of operating parameters such as type of solvent, extraction time, extraction temperature, solid to solvent ratio, particle size and ultrasonic power on the extraction yield have been investigated in details for the approach UAE. The maximum extraction yield as 72% was obtained in 1h under optimized conditions of 35°C temperature, solid to solvent ratio of 1:25, particle size of 0.09mm, ultrasonic power of 250W and ultrasound frequency of 22kHz with ethanol as the solvent. The obtained yield was significantly higher as compared to the batch extraction where only about 62% yield was achieved in 8h of treatment. Peleg's model was used to describe the kinetics of UAE and the model showed a good agreement with the experimental results. Overall, ultrasound has been established to be a green process for extraction of curcumin with benefits of reduction in time as compared to batch extraction and the operating temperature as compared to Soxhlet extraction. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Silk fabric dyed with extract of sophora flower bud.

PubMed

Yan, Su; Pan, Shanshan; Ji, Junling

2018-02-01

This study analysed the use of sophora flower bud extract for dyeing and the resulting colour character and fastness of dyed silk fabric. The pigment composition on the silk fabric and recycling of this extract were also studied. The results indicated that the dyed silk fabric possessed good washing, rubbing and perspiration fastness, and the pigment composition on the silk fabric was mainly rutin and quercetin. The average recovery rate of the dye was 55.00%. These results demonstrate that the sophora flower bud extract is an effective natural dye.

Development and validation of an extraction method for the analysis of perfluoroalkyl substances in human hair.

PubMed

Kim, Da-Hye; Oh, Jeong-Eun

2017-05-01

Human hair has many advantages as a non-invasive sample; however, analytical methods for detecting perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in human hair are still in the development stage. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop and validate a method for monitoring 11 PFASs in human hair. Solid-phase extraction (SPE), ion-pairing extraction (IPE), a combined method (SPE+IPE) and solvent extraction with ENVI-carb clean-up were compared to develop an optimal extraction method using two types of hair sample (powder and piece forms). Analysis of PFASs was performed using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Among the four different extraction procedures, the SPE method using powdered hair showed the best extraction efficiency and recoveries ranged from 85.8 to 102%. The method detection limits for the SPE method were 0.114-0.796 ng/g and good precision (below 10%) and accuracy (66.4-110%) were obtained. In light of these results, SPE is considered the optimal method for PFAS extraction from hair. It was also successfully used to detect PFASs in human hair samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Salting-Out Assisted Liquid-Liquid Extraction for Quantification of Febuxostat in Plasma Using RP-HPLC and Its Pharmacokinetic Application.

PubMed

Tandel, Devang; Shah, Purvi; Patel, Kalpana; Thakkar, Vaishali; Patel, Kirti; Gandhi, Tejal

2016-11-01

A rapid and sensitive reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method using novel salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction technique has been developed for the quantitative determination of febuxostat (FEB), used for the treatment of gout, in rat plasma. The method was validated according to US FDA guideline. Separation was achieved using a Phenomenex Luna-C 18 (250 × 4.60 mm, 5 µm) column and mobile phase composed of potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate buffer 25 mM, adjusted to pH 6.8 with triethylamine:methanol in a ratio of 35:65 (v/v) showing retention time 5.56 and 8.86 min for FEB and internal standard, respectively. The optimal salting-out parameters; 1 mL of acetonitrile and 200 µL of 2 M ammonium acetate salt showed extraction recovery >90% for FEB from plasma. This extraction procedure afforded clear samples resulting in convenient and cost-saving procedure and showed good linear relationship (r > 0.9997) between peak area ratio and concentration from 0.3 to 20 µg/mL. The results of pharmacokinetic study showed that absorption profile of spherical agglomerate of FEB compared to marketed formulation was higher indicating greater systemic absorption. In conclusion, the developed SALLE-HPLC method with simple ultraviolet detection offered a number of advantages including good quantitative ability, wide linear range, high recovery, short analysis time as well as low cost. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Extremophile extracts and enhancement techniques show promise for the development of a live vaccine against Flavobacterium columnare

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powell, D.B.; Palm, R.C.; MacKenzie, A.P.; Winton, J.R.

2009-01-01

The effects of temperature, ionic strength, and new cryopreservatives derived from polar ice bacteria were investigated to help accelerate the development of economical, live attenuated vaccines for aquaculture. Extracts of the extremophile Gelidibacter algens functioned very well as part of a lyophilization cryoprotectant formulation in a 15-week storage trial. The bacterial extract and trehalose additives resulted in significantly higher colony counts of columnaris bacteria (Flavobacterium columnare) compared to nonfat milk or physiological saline at all time points measured. The bacterial extract combined with trehalose appeared to enhance the relative efficiency of recovery and growth potential of columnaris in flask culture compared to saline, nonfat milk, or trehalose-only controls. Pre-lyophilization temperature treatments significantly affected F. columnare survival following rehydration. A 30-min exposure at 0 ??C resulted in a 10-fold increase in bacterial survival following rehydration compared to mid-range temperature treatments. The brief 30 and 35 ??C pre-lyophilization exposures appeared to be detrimental to the rehydration survival of the bacteria. The survival of F. columnare through the lyophilization process was also strongly affected by changes in ionic strength of the bacterial suspension. Changes in rehydration constituents were also found to be important in promoting increased survival and growth. As the sodium chloride concentration increased, the viability of rehydrated F. columnare decreased. ?? 2009 Elsevier Inc.

Evaluation of the anti-diabetic properties of Mucuna pruriens seed extract.

PubMed

Majekodunmi, Stephen O; Oyagbemi, Ademola A; Umukoro, Solomon; Odeku, Oluwatoyin A

2011-08-01

To explore the antidiabetic properties of Mucuna pruriens(M. pruriens). Diabetes was induced in Wistar rats by single intravenous injection of 120 mg/kg of alloxan monohydrate and different doses of the extract were administered to diabetic rats. The blood glucose level was determined using a glucometer and results were compared with normal and untreated diabetic rats. The acute toxicity was also determined in albino mice. Results showed that the administration of 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 100 mg/kg of the crude ethanolic extract of M. pruriens seeds to alloxan-induced diabetic rats (plasma glucose > 450 mg/dL) resulted in 18.6%, 24.9%, 30.8%, 41.4%, 49.7%, 53.1% and 55.4% reduction, respectively in blood glucose level of the diabetic rats after 8h of treatment while the administration of glibenclamide (5 mg/kg/day) resulted in 59.7% reduction. Chronic administration of the extract resulted in a significant dose dependent reduction in the blood glucose level (P<0.001). It also showed that the antidiabetic activity of M. pruriens seeds resides in the methanolic and ethanolic fractions of the extract. Acute toxicity studies indicated that the extract was relatively safe at low doses, although some adverse reactions were observed at higher doses (8-32 mg/kg body weight), no death was recorded. Furthermore, oral administration of M. pruriens seed extract also significantly reduced the weight loss associated with diabetes. The study clearly supports the traditional use of M. pruriens for the treatment of diabetes and indicates that the plant could be a good source of potent antidiabetic drug. Copyright © 2011 Hainan Medical College. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A rule-based named-entity recognition method for knowledge extraction of evidence-based dietary recommendations

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Evidence-based dietary information represented as unstructured text is a crucial information that needs to be accessed in order to help dietitians follow the new knowledge arrives daily with newly published scientific reports. Different named-entity recognition (NER) methods have been introduced previously to extract useful information from the biomedical literature. They are focused on, for example extracting gene mentions, proteins mentions, relationships between genes and proteins, chemical concepts and relationships between drugs and diseases. In this paper, we present a novel NER method, called drNER, for knowledge extraction of evidence-based dietary information. To the best of our knowledge this is the first attempt at extracting dietary concepts. DrNER is a rule-based NER that consists of two phases. The first one involves the detection and determination of the entities mention, and the second one involves the selection and extraction of the entities. We evaluate the method by using text corpora from heterogeneous sources, including text from several scientifically validated web sites and text from scientific publications. Evaluation of the method showed that drNER gives good results and can be used for knowledge extraction of evidence-based dietary recommendations. PMID:28644863

Pore network extraction from pore space images of various porous media systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Zhixing; Lin, Mian; Jiang, Wenbin; Zhang, Zhaobin; Li, Haishan; Gao, Jian

2017-04-01

Pore network extraction, which is defined as the transformation from irregular pore space to a simplified network in the form of pores connected by throats, is significant to microstructure analysis and network modeling. A physically realistic pore network is not only a representation of the pore space in the sense of topology and morphology, but also a good tool for predicting transport properties accurately. We present a method to extract pore network by employing the centrally located medial axis to guide the construction of maximal-balls-like skeleton where the pores and throats are defined and parameterized. To validate our method, various rock samples including sand pack, sandstones, and carbonates were used to extract pore networks. The pore structures were compared quantitatively with the structures extracted by medial axis method or maximal ball method. The predicted absolute permeability and formation factor were verified against the theoretical solutions obtained by lattice Boltzmann method and finite volume method, respectively. The two-phase flow was simulated through the networks extracted from homogeneous sandstones, and the generated relative permeability curves were compared with the data obtained from experimental method and other numerical models. The results show that the accuracy of our network is higher than that of other networks for predicting transport properties, so the presented method is more reliable for extracting physically realistic pore network.

[Obtaining a fermented chickpea extract (Cicer arietinum L.) and its use as a milk extensor].

PubMed

Morales de León, J; Cassís Nosthas, M L; Cecin Salomón, P

2000-06-01

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) is cultivated in the North part of México and it is considered a good source of vegetal protein of low cost (20% average), nevertheless, the 80% used for the exportation and only the 20% less was used for animal feeding. The main objective in this study is to obtain a fermented chickpea extract for using in dairy extensor. Chickpea water absorbtion kinetics were carried out in e temperature conditions:while the conditions were established, chickpea was grounded and fermented in different amounts with its natural flora, L. casei, L. plantarum and a mixture culture of both microorganism in logarithmic phase. The results showed that the presence of microorganism of chickpea natural flora interferes during the fermentation, so before the inoculation it was necessary treat the chickpea extract (CE) terminally in a dilution 1:4 during 20 min at 7.7 kg/cm2 of pressure. The use of a mixture culture of 5% of L. casei and 5% L. plantarum inoculated in MRS broth was used to decrease fermentation time. Its addition in logarithmic phase to the sterile chickpea extract increased the lactic acid production and decreased the pH value in 6 h which was less time that one obtained with each of lactobacillus. The fermented extract obtained finally, presented similar sensory characteristics to the ones of dairy products. Therefore, chickpea is a good alternative as a extensor for this kind of products.

Fetal ECG extraction using independent component analysis by Jade approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giraldo-Guzmán, Jader; Contreras-Ortiz, Sonia H.; Lasprilla, Gloria Isabel Bautista; Kotas, Marian

2017-11-01

Fetal ECG monitoring is a useful method to assess the fetus health and detect abnormal conditions. In this paper we propose an approach to extract fetal ECG from abdomen and chest signals using independent component analysis based on the joint approximate diagonalization of eigenmatrices approach. The JADE approach avoids redundancy, what reduces matrix dimension and computational costs. Signals were filtered with a high pass filter to eliminate low frequency noise. Several levels of decomposition were tested until the fetal ECG was recognized in one of the separated sources output. The proposed method shows fast and good performance.

Antileishmanial Potential of Tropical Rainforest Plant Extracts

PubMed Central

Monzote, Lianet; Piñón, Abel; Setzer, William N.

2014-01-01

A total of 115 different plant extracts from our collection, representing 96 plant species, have been evaluated for in vitro antileishmanial activity against L. amazonensis promastigotes. In addition, the extracts were screened for cytotoxic activity against BALB/c mouse macrophages in order to assess a selectivity index. Crude extracts that showed a selectivity index (CC50 for macrophage / IC50 for promastigotes) ≥ 5 or with IC50 < 12.5 μg/mL against promastigotes, a total of 28 extracts, were further screened for anti-amastigote activity. A total of 25 extracts showed promising activity against L. amazonensis promastigotes with low cytotoxic activity. Ten of these extracts showed selectivity indices, (CC50 for macrophages / IC50 for amastigotes) greater than 10 and are considered “hits”, worthy candidates for further phytochemical exploration: Conostegia xalapensis methanol bark extract, Endiandra palmerstonii bark extract, Eugenia monteverdensis acetone bark extract, Eugenia sp. “fine leaf” acetone bark extract, Exothea paniculata chloroform bark extract, Mallotus paniculatus ethanol bark extract, Matelea pseudobarbata ethanol extract, Quercus insignis ethanol bark extract, Sassafras albidum dichloromethane bark extract, and Stemmadenia donnell-smithii acetone bark extract. PMID:28933376

Saraca indica Bark Extract Shows In Vitro Antioxidant, Antibreast Cancer Activity and Does Not Exhibit Toxicological Effects

PubMed Central

Yadav, Navneet Kumar; Saini, Karan Singh; Hossain, Zakir; Omer, Ankur; Sharma, Chetan; Gayen, Jiaur R.; Singh, Poonam; Arya, K. R.; Singh, R. K.

2015-01-01

Medicinal plants are used as a complementary and alternative medicine in treatment of various diseases including cancer worldwide, because of their ease of accessibility and cost effectiveness. Multicomposed mixture of compounds present in a plant extract has synergistic activity, increases the therapeutic potential many folds, compensates toxicity, and increases bioavailability. Saraca indica (family Caesalpiniaceae) is one of the most ancient sacred plants with medicinal properties, exhibiting a number of pharmacological effects. Antioxidant, antibreast cancer activity and toxicological evaluation of Saraca indica bark extract (SIE) were carried out in the present study. The results of the study indicated that this herbal preparation has antioxidant and antibreast cancer activity. Toxicological studies suggest that SIE is safer to use and may have a potential to be used as complementary and alternative medicine for breast cancer therapy. PMID:25861411

Essential oil and methanolic extract of Zataria multiflora Boiss with anticholinesterase effect.

PubMed

Sharififar, Fariba; Mirtajadini, Mansour; Azampour, Mohammad Jaber; Zamani, Ehsan

2012-01-01

One of the most common strategies in the treatment of cognitive disorders is enhancing the acetylcholine level in the brain through the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase. Despite the effectiveness of current modern drugs, more attention has been paid for finding new anticholinesterase agents from medicinal plants. Zatraia multiflora Boiss. is an endemic plant to Iran which has different uses in traditional medicine as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti spasmodic. We intended to evaluate the in vitro anticholinesterase and free radical scavenging activity of the essential oil and methanolic extract of Z. multiflora. The essential oil and methanolic extract of the plant were evaluated for anticholinesterase activity using modified Ellman method. The free radical scavenging effect of the samples were studied by using of the diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH). IC50 and the percent of inhibition of acetylcholinesterase was calculated from regression equation. The results showed that both the essential oil and methanolic extract of the plant exhibited high anticholinesterase activity (95.3 +/- 3.4 and 87.9 +/- 2.2% inhibition, respectively) which was similar to eserine (96.2 +/- 1.7% inhibition). The IC50 value of essential oil was determined as 0.97 +/- 0.12 microg mL(-1) in comparison to eserine (0.13 +/- 0.02 microg mL(-1)). The results of antioxidant assay showed that both the essential oil and methanolic extract potentially inhibit DPPH free radical (94.8 +/- 2.4 and 93.2 +/- 1.7% inhibition, respectively). The essential oil and methanolic extract of Z. multiflora have beneficial effect in health promotion and this plant would be good candidate for further studies.

Micro-solid-phase extraction (µ-SPE) of organophosphorous pesticides from wheat followed by LC-MS/MS determination.

PubMed

Della Pelle, Flavio; Di Crescenzo, Maria Chiara; Sergi, Manuel; Montesano, Camilla; Di Ottavio, Francesca; Scarpone, Rossana; Scortichini, Giampiero; Compagnone, Dario

2016-01-01

A rapid, selective and effective method of extraction, clean-up and concentration of organophosphorous pesticides from wheat followed by electrospray (ESI) LC-MS/MS analysis was developed. The μ-SPE (micro-solid-phase extraction) procedure resulted in good analytical performance and reduced at the same time matrix effects, analysis time and solvent consumption. Limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) were in the range of 0.3-10 and 1-30 μg kg(-1), respectively, with good reproducibility (RSD ≤ 13.8) and recoveries between 75% and 109%. Coefficients of determination (r(2)) were greater than 0.996 for the studied pesticides. Despite the reduced sorbent bed mass of μ-SPE tips (4.2 mg), the analytical data showed that no saturation phenomena occurs in the tested range of concentration both for single compounds and mixtures. Several real samples were analysed and the concentrations of the selected pesticides were found to be below the respective maximum residue limit (MRLs).

Dispersive solid-phase extraction based on magnetic dummy molecularly imprinted microspheres for selective screening of phthalates in plastic bottled beverages.

PubMed

Qiao, Jindong; Wang, Mingyu; Yan, Hongyuan; Yang, Gengliang

2014-04-02

A new magnetic dummy molecularly imprinted dispersive solid-phase extraction (MAG-MIM-dSPE) coupled with gas chromatography-FID was developed for selective determination of phthalates in plastic bottled beverages. The new magnetic dummy molecularly imprinted microspheres (MAG-MIM) using diisononyl phthalate as a template mimic were synthesized by coprecipitation coupled with aqueous suspension polymerization and were successfully applied as the adsorbents for MAG-MIM-dSPE to extract and isolate five phthalates from plastic bottled beverages. Validation experiments showed that the MAG-MIM-dSPE method had good linearity at 0.0040-0.40 μg/mL (0.9991-0.9998), good precision (3.1-6.9%), and high recovery (89.5-101.3%), and limits of detection were obtained in a range of 0.53-1.2 μg/L. The presented MAG-MIM-dSPE method combines the quick separation of magnetic particles, special selectivity of MIM, and high extraction efficiency of dSPE, which could potentially be applied to selective screening of phthalates in beverage products.

Changes during storage of quality parameters and in vitro antioxidant activity of extra virgin monovarietal oils obtained with two extraction technologies.

PubMed

Fadda, C; Del Caro, A; Sanguinetti, A M; Urgeghe, P P; Vacca, V; Arca, P P; Piga, A

2012-10-01

Extraction technology has a great effect on quality of olive oils. This paper studied 18 months of storage of two Sardinian extra virgin monovarietal oils obtained with a traditional and with a low oxidative stress technology. Oil samples were subjected to the following chemical analyses: acidity, peroxide value, ultraviolet light absorption K₂₃₂ and K₂₇₀, carotenoids, chlorophylls, tocopherols and total polyphenols. The antioxidant capacity of oils, polyphenol extract and oil extract (remaining after polyphenol extraction) was also determined as radical scavenging activity. The results show that both extraction technologies resulted in minor changes in legal and quality indices during storage, due surely to the high quality of the oils as well as to the very good storage conditions used. Oils obtained with the low oxidative stress technology showed lower peroxide value and acidity and resulted in up to 103% higher total polyphenol content as well as increased radical-scavenging activity, with respect to oils obtained with the traditional technology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Good soldiers and good actors: prosocial and impression management motives as interactive predictors of affiliative citizenship behaviors.

PubMed

Grant, Adam M; Mayer, David M

2009-07-01

Researchers have discovered inconsistent relationships between prosocial motives and citizenship behaviors. We draw on impression management theory to propose that impression management motives strengthen the association between prosocial motives and affiliative citizenship by encouraging employees to express citizenship in ways that both "do good" and "look good." We report 2 studies that examine the interactions of prosocial and impression management motives as predictors of affiliative citizenship using multisource data from 2 different field samples. Across the 2 studies, we find positive interactions between prosocial and impression management motives as predictors of affiliative citizenship behaviors directed toward other people (helping and courtesy) and the organization (initiative). Study 2 also shows that only prosocial motives predict voice-a challenging citizenship behavior. Our results suggest that employees who are both good soldiers and good actors are most likely to emerge as good citizens in promoting the status quo.

Extraction optimization and influences of drying methods on antioxidant activities of polysaccharide from cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.)

PubMed Central

Li, Ran; Duan, Meng-Ying; Wu, Hong-Xin

2017-01-01

Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to investigate the extraction condition of polysaccharide from cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) (named CPP). Water to raw material ratio (10–30 mL/g), extraction time (40–80 min) and extraction temperature (60–100°C) were set as the 3 independent variables, and their effects on the extraction yield of CPP were measured. In addition, the effects of drying methods including hot air drying (HD), vacuum drying (VD) and freeze drying (FD) on the antioxidant activities of CPP were evaluated. The results showed that the optimal condition to extract CPP was: water to raw material ratio (15 mL/g), extraction time (61 min), and extraction temperature (97°C), a maximum CPP yield of 6.49% was obtained under this condition. CPP drying with FD method showed stronger reducing power (0.943 at 6 mg/mL) and radical scavenging capacities against DPPH radical (75.71% at 1.2 mg/mL) and ABTS radical (98.06 at 1.6 mg/mL) than CPP drying with HD and VD methods. Therefore, freeze drying served as a good method for keeping the antioxidant activities of polysaccharide from cup plant. The polysaccharide from cup plant has potential to use as a natural antioxidant. PMID:28837625

The effect of different extraction techniques on property and bioactivity of polysaccharides from Dioscorea hemsleyi.

PubMed

Zhao, Chengcheng; Li, Xia; Miao, Jing; Jing, Songsong; Li, Xuejiao; Huang, Luqi; Gao, Wenyuan

2017-09-01

The rhizoma of Dioscorea hemsleyi (DH) has been used as a treatment of diabetes in China for hundreds of years. Polysaccharides in DH were extracted by using ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE), cold water extraction (CWE), warm water extraction (WWE) and hot water extraction (HWE), separately. Then the different characterizations of four DH polysaccharide (DHP) samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), high-performance Gel permeation chromatography (HGPC), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy(UV), fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Their activities in vitro of DHP were compared. Experimental results showed that HWE had the highest yield and large molecular weight. CWE had the highest uronic acid yield and little molecular weight, and its DPPH, AGI and AAI activity were the best. The molecular weight of UAE was small, and its RP and FRAP activity were the best. Four DHP samples had differences in the surface topography, while they all had the typical IR spectra characteristic of polysaccharides. According the correlation analysis, it showed that the more uronic acid and the lower molecular weight was, the higher the antioxidant activity was. The high content of monosaccharide composition of Xyl, Ara, GlcA and GalA, and little molecular weight have good effect on antidiabetic activity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of extraction methods for hexavalent chromium determination in dusts, ashes, and soils

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolf, Ruth E.; Wilson, Stephen A.

2010-01-01

One of the difficulties in performing speciation analyses on solid samples is finding a suitable extraction method. Traditional methods for extraction of hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), in soils, such as SW846 Method 3060A, can be tedious and are not always compatible with some determination methods. For example, the phosphate and high levels of carbonate and magnesium present in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Method 3060A digestion for Cr(VI) were found to be incompatible with the High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) detection method used by our laboratory. Modification of Method 3060A by eliminating the use of the phosphate buffer provided improved performance with the detection method, however dilutions are still necessary to achieve good chromatographic separation and detection of Cr(VI). An ultrasonic extraction method using a 1 mM Na2CO3 - 9 mM NaHCO3 buffer solution, adapted from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Method ID215, has been used with good results for the determination of Cr(VI) in air filters. The average recovery obtained for BCR-545 - Welding Dust Loaded on Filter (IRMM, Belgium) using this method was 99 percent (1.2 percent relative standard deviation) with no conversion of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) during the extraction process. This ultrasonic method has the potential for use with other sample matrices, such as ashes and soils. Preliminary investigations using NIST 2701 (Hexavalent Chromium in Contaminated Soil) loaded onto quartz filters showed promising results with approximately 90 percent recovery of the certified Cr(VI) value. Additional testing has been done using NIST 2701 and NIST 2700 using different presentation methods. Extraction efficiency of bulk presentation, where small portions of the sample are added to the bottom of the extraction vessel, will be compared with supported presentation, where small portions of the sample are loaded onto a

Antimicrobial Cream Formulated with Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extract of Tuberose Flowers Arrests Growth of Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

Ghosh, Probir Kumar; Bhattacharjee, Paramita; Das, Satadal

2016-01-01

Antimicrobial potency of herbal extracts is well known. The review of patents and research articles revealed that several herbal extracts have been employed in the formulation of topical products such as creams, exclusive of the cream reported in the present study. 0ur previous study has established antimicrobial potency of supercritical carbon dioxide extracts of tuberose flowers, better known for its sweet fragrance. The present work focuses on formulating a topical antimicrobial herbal cream with methyl eugenol (principal antimicrobial compound) rich - supercritical carbon dioxide extract of tuberose flowers, having good combination of phytochemical and antimicrobial potencies. Supercritical carbon dioxide parameters such as temperature, pressure and time were optimized using full factorial experimental design to obtain methyl eugenol-rich extracts. A cream was formulated using the extract having the best combination of phytochemical and antimicrobial potencies and was assayed further for in vitro antimicrobial potency; physiochemical and sensory properties. Two commercial antimicrobial cream samples were used as reference samples in the study. The extract obtained at 40°C, 10 MPa, 135 min at 1 L min-1 flow rate of gaseous C02 showed the best combination of phytochemical and antimicrobial potencies and was used for formulation of herbal creams. The cream formulated with 5% w/w of extract arrested growth of the common human skin pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and showed stable physiochemical properties and high sensory appeal for a year. The cream could be considered as a 'finished herbal product&' in compliance with the World Health 0rganization guidelines.

Extraction of high value added gelatin biopolymer from black tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) head bones

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sockalingam, K., E-mail: gd130106@siswa.uthm.edu.my; Abdullah, H. Z., E-mail: hasan@uthm.edu.my

Black tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) fish head bones were evaluated for its possibilities in extracting gelatin. Head bones were subjected to pre-treatment with 3% of hydrochloric acid (HCl) for demineralization before undergoes thermal extraction process. The raw head bones were characterized via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in order to investigate the external and internal surface morphology. SEM images also reveal the presence of collagen fiber with 1 µm diameter in the head bone. The black tilapia fish head bones yields 5.75 % of gelatin in wet weight basis, indicating the possibility of this fish species as sources of gelatin. Further characterizations weremore » done on both raw head bones and extracted gelatin through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and proximate analysis. The head bones gelatin shows high protein (10.55%) and ash (3.11 %) content with low moisture. This further proves the effectiveness of demineralization and extraction method used. The black tilapia fish head bones are found to be a prospective source of gelatin with good chemical and functional properties.« less

Radical-scavenging-linked antioxidant activities of extracts from black chokeberry and blueberry cultivated in Korea.

PubMed

Hwang, Seok Joon; Yoon, Won Byong; Lee, Ok-Hwan; Cha, Seung Ju; Kim, Jong Dai

2014-03-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the radical-scavenging-linked antioxidant properties of the extracts from black chokeberry and blueberry cultivated in Korea. The 70% ethanol extracts were prepared from black chokeberry and blueberry, and evaluated for total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, total proanthocyanidin content, and antioxidative activities, using various in vitro assays, such as DPPH(2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS(2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylenebenzothiozoline-6-sulphonic acid)) radical-scavenging activity, FRAP(ferric-reducing antioxidant power) and reducing power. The major phenolic compounds, including cyanidin-3-galactoside, cyanidin-3-arabinoside, neochlorogenic acid, procyanidin B1, were analysed by HPLC with a photodiode array detector. Results showed that total phenol, flavonoid and proanthocyanidin contents of black chokeberry extract were higher than those of blueberry extract. In addition, black chokeberry extract exhibited higher free radical-scavenging activity and reducing power than did blueberry extract. Cyanidin-3-galactoside was identified as a major phenolic compound, with considerable content in black chokeberry, that correlated with its higher antioxidant and radical-scavenging effects. These results suggest that black chokeberry extracts could be considered as a good source of natural antioxidants and functional food ingredients. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of sulfonamides in milk by capillary electrophoresis with PEG@MoS2 as a dispersive solid-phase extraction sorbent.

PubMed

An, Jianxin; Wang, Xuan; Ming, Meiting; Li, Jian; Ye, Nengsheng

2018-05-01

A synthetic polyethylene glycol-molybdenum disulfide (PEG@MoS 2 ) composite was prepared using a simple method, and the application of this material in dispersive solid-phase extraction (DSPE) was investigated for the enrichment of eight sulfonamides (SAs) in milk samples. The composite was characterized by energy dispersive spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurements. The results showed that the MoS 2 synthesized in the presence of PEG has the advantage of a larger surface area and that the adsorption effect of this MoS 2 was enhanced. After extraction, the eight SAs were separated by capillary zone electrophoresis with a good linear relationship ( R 2  > 0.9902) in the range of 0.3-30 µg ml -1 and good precision (between 0.32% and 9.83%). Additionally, good recoveries (between 60.52% and 110.91%) were obtained for the SAs in the milk samples. The developed PEG@MoS 2 -based DSPE method could be applied for the enrichment of SAs in real milk samples.

Substantial Goodness and Nascent Human Life.

PubMed

Floyd, Shawn

2015-09-01

Many believe that moral value is--at least to some extent--dependent on the developmental states necessary for supporting rational activity. My paper rejects this view, but does not aim simply to register objections to it. Rather, my essay aims to answer the following question: if a human being's developmental state and occurrent capacities do not bequeath moral standing, what does? The question is intended to prompt careful consideration of what makes human beings objects of moral value, dignity, or (to employ my preferred term) goodness. Not only do I think we can answer this question, I think we can show that nascent human life possesses goodness of precisely this sort. I appeal to Aquinas's metaethics to establish the conclusion that the goodness of a human being--even if that being is an embryo or fetus--resides at the substratum of her existence. If she possesses goodness, it is because human existence is good.

Antioxidant lipoxygenase inhibitors from the leaf extracts of Simmondsia chinensis.

PubMed

Abdel-Mageed, Wael Mostafa; Bayoumi, Soad Abdel Latief Hassan; Salama, Awwad Abdoh Radwan; Salem-Bekhit, Mounir Mohamed; Abd-Alrahman, Sherif Hussein; Sayed, Hanaa Mohamed

2014-09-01

To isolate and identify chemical constituents with antioxidant and lipoxygenase inhibitory effects of the ethanolic extract of Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) leaves. The alcoholic extract was subjected to successive solvent fractionation. The antioxidant active fractions (chloroform, ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions) were subjected to a combination of different chromatographic techniques guided by the antioxidant assay with DPPH. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidences and correlated with known compounds. The antioxidant activity was assessed quantitively using DPPH and β-carotene methods. The inhibitory potential against enzyme lipoxygenase was assessed on soybean lipoxygenase enzyme. Ten flavonoids and four lignans were isolated. Flavonoid aglycones showed stronger antioxidant and lipoxygenase inhibitory effects than their glycosides. Lignoid glycosides showed moderate to weak antioxidant and lipoxygenase inhibitory effects. A total of 14 compounds were isolated and identified from Simmondsia chinensis; 12 of them were isolated for the first time. This is the first report that highlights deeply on the phenolic content of jojoba and their potential biological activities and shows the importance of this plant as a good source of phenolics in particular the flavonoid content. Copyright © 2014 Hainan Medical College. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High-throughput DNA extraction of forensic adhesive tapes.

PubMed

Forsberg, Christina; Jansson, Linda; Ansell, Ricky; Hedman, Johannes

2016-09-01

Tape-lifting has since its introduction in the early 2000's become a well-established sampling method in forensic DNA analysis. Sampling is quick and straightforward while the following DNA extraction is more challenging due to the "stickiness", rigidity and size of the tape. We have developed, validated and implemented a simple and efficient direct lysis DNA extraction protocol for adhesive tapes that requires limited manual labour. The method uses Chelex beads and is applied with SceneSafe FAST tape. This direct lysis protocol provided higher mean DNA yields than PrepFiler Express BTA on Automate Express, although the differences were not significant when using clothes worn in a controlled fashion as reference material (p=0.13 and p=0.34 for T-shirts and button-down shirts, respectively). Through in-house validation we show that the method is fit-for-purpose for application in casework, as it provides high DNA yields and amplifiability, as well as good reproducibility and DNA extract stability. After implementation in casework, the proportion of extracts with DNA concentrations above 0.01ng/μL increased from 71% to 76%. Apart from providing higher DNA yields compared with the previous method, the introduction of the developed direct lysis protocol also reduced the amount of manual labour by half and doubled the potential throughput for tapes at the laboratory. Generally, simplified manual protocols can serve as a cost-effective alternative to sophisticated automation solutions when the aim is to enable high-throughput DNA extraction of complex crime scene samples. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

[Technological process of cell disruption for extracting astaxanthin from Phaffia rhodozyma by acid method under autoclave conditions].

PubMed

Lu, Baoju; Xiao, Anfeng; Lil, Lijun; Ni, Hui; Cai, Huinong; Su, Wenjin

2008-07-01

Phaffia rhodozyma is one of the organisms for production of astaxanthin, and the key process for extracting intracellular astaxanthin is cell disruption. In this work, cell disruption for extracting astaxanthin from Phaffia rhodozyma was studied with autoclave method at low acid concentration. The optimum disrupting conditions were: autoclave pressure 0.1 MPa, 121 degrees C; hydrochloric acid concentration 0.5 mol/L; liquid to material ratio (V/W) 30 mL/g dry cell weight and disruption time 2 min. Under the optimum conditions, medium scale experiment showed that astaxanthin and total carotenoids recovery from Phaffia rhodozyma were (84.8 +/- 3.2)% and (93.3 +/- 2)%, respectively. This new method can lead to no poisonous residues and get high extraction yield, which have good prospects to be put into industrial production.

[Study on the extraction process and macroporous resin for purification of Timosaponin B II].

PubMed

Liu, Yan-Ping; Ding, Yue; Zhang, Tong; Wang, Bing; Cai, Zhen-Zhen; Tao, Jian-Sheng

2013-06-01

To optimize the extraction process and macroporous resin for purification of Timosaponin B II from Anemarrhena asphodeloides. Orthogonal design L9 (34) was employed to optimize the circumfluence extraction conditions by taking the extraction yield of Timosaponin B II as index. The absorption-desorption characteristics of eight kinds of macroporous resins were evaluated, then the best resin was chosen to optimize the purification process conditions. The optimum extraction conditions were as follows: the herb was extracted for 2 times (2 hours each time) with 8.5-fold 50% ethanol at the first time and 6-fold 50% ethanol at the second time. HPD100 resin showed a good property for the absorption-desorption of Timosaponin B II. The optimum technological conditions of HPD100 resin were as follows:the solution concentration was 0.23 mg/mL, the amount of saturated adsorption at 4/5 body volumn (BV) resin, the HPD100 resin was washed with 3 BV water and 6 BV 20% ethanol solution to remove the impurity, then the Timosaponin B II was desorbed by 5 BV ethanol solution. The purity of Timosaponin B II was about 50%. The optimized extraction process and purification is stable, efficient and suitable for industrial production.

Antifungal activity of acetone extracts from Punica granatum L., Quercus suber L. and Vicia faba L.

PubMed

Akroum, S

2017-03-01

Human and animal mycoses become more frequent and more resistant to traditional treatments. In this work, we tested the in vitro antifungal activity of acetonic extracts of Punica granatum L., Quercus suber L. and Vicia faba L. against seven pathogen fungi and the in vivo antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. The phytochemical screening was also carried out and showed that the extracts contained mainly proanthocyanidins. Other polyphenols were also present but in low quantity. The acetone extract of V. faba L. gave a good in vitro inhibition of yeasts and was the most active for treating candidiasis in mice. It decreased the percentage of mortality with only 20μg. But the in vivo antifungal activity of this extract on T. mentagrophytes was low. It only showed a small diminution of crusting and erythema after the administration of 100μg. On the contrary, the acetone extracts of P. granatum L. had a poor activity against yeasts and a better one against moulds. It gave the best in vivo antifungal activity against T. mentagrophytes by healing animals with 40μg. The extract of P. granatum L. gave also an interesting in vivo antifungal activity against T. mentagrophytes with an active dose of 80μg. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

[Acquired hypogammaglobulinemia associated with thymoma: Good syndrome].

PubMed

Aouadi, Samira; Ghrairi, Najla; Braham, Emna; Kaabi, Manel; Maâlej, Sonia; Elgharbi, Leila Douik

2017-01-01

Good syndrome (GS) is defined as the association between thymoma and immune deficiency. It is often complicated by broncho-pulmonary bacterial infections and rhinosinusitis. This disease accounts for only 5% of all parathymic syndromes. These recurrent respiratory infections can cause bronchiectasis associated with Good syndrome. We report the case of a 52-year old woman hospitalized for non resolutive infectious pneumonitis. Chest CT scan showed bronchiectasis associated with thymoma confirmed by biopsy. The discovery of hypogammaglobulinemia allowed the diagnosis of Good syndrome.

Modelling and simulation of a moving interface problem: freeze drying of black tea extract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aydin, Ebubekir Sıddık; Yucel, Ozgun; Sadikoglu, Hasan

2017-06-01

The moving interface separates the material that is subjected to the freeze drying process as dried and frozen. Therefore, the accurate modeling the moving interface reduces the process time and energy consumption by improving the heat and mass transfer predictions during the process. To describe the dynamic behavior of the drying stages of the freeze-drying, a case study of brewed black tea extract in storage trays including moving interface was modeled that the heat and mass transfer equations were solved using orthogonal collocation method based on Jacobian polynomial approximation. Transport parameters and physical properties describing the freeze drying of black tea extract were evaluated by fitting the experimental data using Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. Experimental results showed good agreement with the theoretical predictions.

Randomly biased investments and the evolution of public goods on interdependent networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Wei; Wu, Te; Li, Zhiwu; Wang, Long

2017-08-01

Deciding how to allocate resources between interdependent systems is significant to optimize efficiency. We study the effects of heterogeneous contribution, induced by such interdependency, on the evolution of cooperation, through implementing the public goods games on two-layer networks. The corresponding players on different layers try to share a fixed amount of resources as the initial investment properly. The symmetry breaking of investments between players located on different layers is able to either prevent investments from, or extract them out of the deadlock. Results show that a moderate investment heterogeneity is best favorable for the evolution of cooperation, and random allocation of investment bias suppresses the cooperators at a wide range of the investment bias and the enhancement effect. Further studies on time evolution with different initial strategy configurations show that the non-interdependent cooperators along the interface of interdependent cooperators also are an indispensable factor in facilitating cooperative behavior. Our main results are qualitatively unchanged even diversifying investment bias that is subject to uniform distribution. Our study may shed light on the understanding of the origin of cooperative behavior on interdependent networks.

Total lipid extraction of homogenized and intact lean fish muscles using pressurized fluid extraction and batch extraction techniques.

PubMed

Isaac, Giorgis; Waldebäck, Monica; Eriksson, Ulla; Odham, Göran; Markides, Karin E

2005-07-13

The reliability and efficiency of pressurized fluid extraction (PFE) technique for the extraction of total lipid content from cod and the effect of sample treatment on the extraction efficiency have been evaluated. The results were compared with two liquid-liquid extraction methods, traditional and modified methods according to Jensen. Optimum conditions were found to be with 2-propanol/n-hexane (65:35, v/v) as a first and n-hexane/diethyl ether (90:10, v/v) as a second solvent, 115 degrees C, and 10 min of static time. PFE extracts were cleaned up using the same procedure as in the methods according to Jensen. When total lipid yields obtained from homogenized cod muscle using PFE were compared yields obtained with original and modified Jensen methods, PFE gave significantly higher yields, approximately 10% higher (t test, P < 0.05). Infrared and NMR spectroscopy suggested that the additional material that inflates the gravimetric results is rather homogeneous and is primarily consists of phospholipid with headgroups of inositidic and/or glycosidic nature. The comparative study demonstrated that PFE is an alternative suitable technique to extract total lipid content from homogenized cod (lean fish) and herring (fat fish) muscle showing a precision comparable to that obtained with the traditional and modified Jensen methods. Despite the necessary cleanup step, PFE showed important advantages in the solvent consumption was cut by approximately 50% and automated extraction was possible.

Ionic liquids intercalated in montmorillonite as the sorptive phase for the extraction of low-polarity organic compounds from water by rotating-disk sorptive extraction.

PubMed

Fiscal-Ladino, Jhon A; Obando-Ceballos, Mónica; Rosero-Moreano, Milton; Montaño, Diego F; Cardona, Wilson; Giraldo, Luis F; Richter, Pablo

2017-02-08

Montmorillonite (MMT) clays were modified by the intercalation into their galleries of ionic liquids (IL) based on imidazolium quaternary ammonium salts. This new eco-materials exhibited good features for use as a sorptive phase in the extraction of low-polarity analytes from aqueous samples. Spectroscopic analyses of the modified clays were conducted and revealed an increase in the basal spacing and a shifting of the reflection plane towards lower values as a consequence of the effective intercalation of organic cations into the MMT structure. The novel sorbent developed herein was assayed as the sorptive phase in rotating-disk sorptive extraction (RDSE), using polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), representative of low-polarity pollutants, as model analytes. The final determination was made by gas chromatography with electron capture detection. Among the synthetized sorptive phases, the selected system for analytical purposes consisted of MMT modified with the 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (HDMIM-Br) IL. Satisfactory analytical features were achieved using a sample volume of 5 mL: the relative recoveries from a wastewater sample were higher than 80%, the detection limits were between 3 ng L -1 and 43 ng L -1 , the precision (within-run precision) expressed as the relative standard deviation ranged from 2% to 24%, and the enrichment factors ranged between 18 and 28. Using RDSE, the extraction efficiency achieved for the selected MMT-HDMIM-Br phase was compared with other commercial solid phases/supports, such as polypropylene, polypropylene with 1-octanol (as a supported liquid membrane), octadecyl (C18) and octyl (C8), and showed the highest response for all the studied analytes. Under the optimized extraction conditions, this new device was applied in the analysis of the influent of a wastewater treatment plant in Santiago (Chile), demonstrating its applicability through the good recoveries and precision achieved with real samples. Copyright © 2016

Study on the Polar Extracts of Dendrobium nobile, D. officinale, D. loddigesii, and Flickingeria fimbriata: Metabolite Identification, Content Evaluation, and Bioactivity Assay.

PubMed

Chen, Huiping; Li, Xuewen; Xu, Yongli; Lo, Kakei; Zheng, Huizhen; Hu, Haiyan; Wang, Jun; Lin, Yongcheng

2018-05-15

The polar extract of the Dendrobium species or F. fimbriata (a substitute of Dendrobium ), between the fat-soluble extract and polysaccharide has barely been researched. This report worked on the qualitative and quantitative studies of polar extracts from D. nobile , D. officinale , D. loddigesii , and F. fimbriata . Eight water-soluble metabolites containing a new diglucoside, flifimdioside A ( 1 ), and a rare imidazolium-type alkaloid, anosmine ( 4 ), were identified using chromatography as well as spectroscopic techniques. Their contents in the four herbs were high, approximately 0.9⁻3.7 mg/g based on the analysis of quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR) spectroscopy. Biological activity evaluation showed that the polar extract of F. fimbriata or its pure component had good antioxidant and neuroprotective activity; compounds 1 ‒ 4 and shihunine ( 8 ) showed weak α-glucosidase inhibitory activity; 4 and 8 had weak anti-inflammatory activity. Under trial conditions, all samples had no cytotoxic activity.

Antimicrobial efficacy of Cinnamomum javanicum plant extract against Listeria monocytogenes and its application potential with smoked salmon.

PubMed

Yuan, Wenqian; Lee, Hui Wen; Yuk, Hyun-Gyun

2017-11-02

Extracts from medicinal plants have been reported to possess good antimicrobial properties, but a majority of them remain unexplored. This study aimed at identifying a novel plant extract with antimicrobial activity, to validate its efficacy in food model, and to elucidate its composition and antimicrobial mechanism. A total of 125 plant extracts were screened, and Cinnamomum javanicum leaf and stem extract showed potential antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes (MIC=0.13mg/mL). Total phenolic content of the extract was 78.3mg GAE/g extract and its antioxidant activity was 57.2-326.5mg TE/g extract. When applied on cold smoked salmon, strong strain-dependent antimicrobial effectiveness was observed, with L. monocytogenes LM2 (serotype 4b) and LM8 (serotype 3a) being more resistant compared to SSA81 (serotype 1/2a). High extract concentration (16mg/mL) was needed to inhibit or reduce the growth of L. monocytogenes on smoked salmon, which resulted in surface color change. GC-MS revealed that eucalyptol (25.54 area%) was the most abundant compound in the crude extract. Both crude extract and eucalyptol induced significant membrane damages in treated L. monocytogenes. These results suggest anti-L. monocytogenes activity of C. javanicum plant extract, identified its major volatile components, and elucidated its membrane-damaging antimicrobial mechanisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Detection and Quantification of Cannabinoids in Extracts of Cannabis sativa Roots Using LC-MS/MS.

PubMed

Gul, Waseem; Gul, Shahbaz W; Chandra, Suman; Lata, Hemant; Ibrahim, Elsayed A; ElSohly, Mahmoud A

2018-03-01

A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry single-laboratory validation was performed for the detection and quantification of the 10 major cannabinoids of cannabis, namely, (-)- trans -Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, cannabigerol, cannabichromene, tetrahydrocannabivarian, cannabinol, (-)- trans -Δ 8 -tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiolic acid, cannabigerolic acid, and Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinolic acid-A, in the root extract of Cannabis sativa . Acetonitrile : methanol (80 : 20, v/v) was used for extraction; d 3 -cannabidiol and d 3 - tetrahydrocannabinol were used as the internal standards. All 10 cannabinoids showed a good regression relationship with r 2  > 0.99. The validated method is simple, sensitive, and reproducible and is therefore suitable for the detection and quantification of these cannabinoids in extracts of cannabis roots. To our knowledge, this is the first report for the quantification of cannabinoids in cannabis roots. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Extractive sampling and optical remote sensing of F100 aircraft engine emissions.

PubMed

Cowen, Kenneth; Goodwin, Bradley; Joseph, Darrell; Tefend, Matthew; Satola, Jan; Kagann, Robert; Hashmonay, Ram; Spicer, Chester; Holdren, Michael; Mayfield, Howard

2009-05-01

The Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) has initiated several programs to develop and evaluate techniques to characterize emissions from military aircraft to meet increasingly stringent regulatory requirements. This paper describes the results of a recent field study using extractive and optical remote sensing (ORS) techniques to measure emissions from six F-15 fighter aircraft. Testing was performed between November 14 and 16, 2006 on the trim-pad facility at Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, FL. Measurements were made on eight different F100 engines, and the engines were tested on-wing of in-use aircraft. A total of 39 test runs were performed at engine power levels that ranged from idle to military power. The approach adopted for these tests involved extractive sampling with collocated ORS measurements at a distance of approximately 20-25 nozzle diameters downstream of the engine exit plane. The emission indices calculated for carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, and several volatile organic compounds showed very good agreement when comparing the extractive and ORS sampling methods.

Antioxidant and Cytoprotective Activities of Enzymatic Extracts from Rhizoid of Laminaria japonica

PubMed Central

Je, Jae-Young; Park, Soo Yeon; Ahn, Chang-Bum

2017-01-01

Rhizoid of Laminaria japonica was hydrolyzed with proteases and carbohydrases to obtain antioxidant materials. Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of the enzymatic extracts was evaluated and the Protamex extract (PE) exhibited the highest ORAC value. PE also potently scavenged 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic) acid cation radical, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and had good reducing power. PE inhibited hydroxyl radical-induced DNA scission by measuring the conversion of supercoiled pBR322 plasmid DNA to the open circular form. The cytoprotective effect of PE against H2O2-induced hepatic cell damage was also investigated. PE showed a dose-dependent cytoprotective effect in cultured hepatocytes by inhibiting intracellular reactive oxygen species scavenging activity. In addition, PE up-regulated the expression of heme oxygenase-1, which is a cytoprotective enzyme, by activating translocation of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2. Taken together, the enzymatic extract of rhizoid of L. japonica, particularly PE, may be useful for antioxidant additives. PMID:29333384

[Good governance of publicly-produced health services: ideas for moving forward].

PubMed

Freire, José Manuel; Repullo, Jose Ramon

2011-06-01

The good performance of publicly-produced health services is of vital importance, well beyond the health sector. Taking into account the great complexity of the health services in the public sector due both to their public and professional nature, we identify seven Gordian Knots as being responsible for the most frequent problems of publicly produced health services in Spain and Latin America. From the concept of good governance we take its character as a normative and ethical benchmark and its potential to renew and invigorate the government of the public sector. From comparative analysis of publicly-produced health services in the best performing countries, we extract eight characteristics which contribute significantly to good performance. A final reflection is on the relevance of the importance of offsetting the potential hostility to a reformist impulse of the status-quo with alliances that strengthen public trust and the social contract between health professionals and citizens based on the values of public health systems.

Multi-stir bar sorptive extraction for analysis of odor compounds in aqueous samples.

PubMed

Ochiai, Nobuo; Sasamoto, Kikuo; Ieda, Teruyo; David, Frank; Sandra, Pat

2013-11-08

As reproducible coating of stir bars with more polar phases was found to be very difficult, a supporting grid was used in the development of an ethyleneglycol-modified Silicone (EG Silicone) coated stir bar. This new polar coating showed good performance for the extraction of polar solutes, but long term use also showed degradation of the coating due to friction while stirring. In order to address the lower robustness of the EG Silicone stir bar which has a much softer coating compared to a conventional polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stir bar, a novel SBSE procedure termed multi-SBSE ((m)SBSE) was developed. (m)SBSE consists of the robust PDMS stir bar stirring at the bottom of the vial and the EG Silicone stir bar attached on the inner side wall of the vial (a magnetic clip is used for the set-up). After extraction, the two stir bars are placed in a single glass desorption liner and are simultaneously thermally desorbed. The desorbed compounds were analyzed by thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). Compared to conventional SBSE, (m)SBSE provides more uniform enrichment of a wide range of odor compounds in aqueous sample since both stir bars can complement each other, while eliminating the damage of the EG Silicone phase during the extraction. The robustness of the EG Silicone stir bar was dramatically increased and more than 30 extraction and desorption cycles were possible without loss in performance. The recoveries for polar solutes such as 2-acetyl pyrrole (logKow: 0.55), benzyl alcohol (logKow: 1.08), guaiacol (logKow: 1.34), and indole (logKow: 2.05) were increased by a factor of about 2-7. The (m)SBSE-TD-GC-MS method showed good linearity (r(2)>0.9913) and high sensitivity (limit of detection: 0.011-0.071 ng mL(-1)) for the test compounds spiked in water. The feasibility and benefit of the method was demonstrated with analysis of odor compounds in roasted green tea. The normalized areas obtained from (m)SBSE showed the best

Polymeric ionic liquid based on magnetic materials fabricated through layer-by-layer assembly as adsorbents for extraction of pesticides.

PubMed

He, Lijun; Cui, Wenhang; Wang, Yali; Zhao, Wenjie; Xiang, Guoqiang; Jiang, Xiuming; Mao, Pu; He, Juan; Zhang, Shusheng

2017-11-03

In this study, layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolyte multilayer films on magnetic silica provided a convenient and controllable way to prepare polymeric ionic liquid-based magnetic adsorbents. The resulting particles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and magnetic measurements. The data showed that the magnetic particles had more homogeneous spherical shapes with higher saturation magnetization when compared to those obtained by free radical polymerization method. This facilitated the convenient collection of magnetic particles, with higher extraction repeatability. The extraction performance of the multilayer polymeric ionic liquid-based adsorbents was evaluated by magnetic solid-phase extraction of four pesticides including quinalphos, fenthion, phoxim, and chlorpropham. The data suggested that the extraction efficiency depended on the number of layers in the film. The parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were optimized, and good linearity ranging from 2 to 250μgL -1 was obtained with correlation coefficients of 0.9994-0.9998. Moreover, the proposed method presented low limit of detection (0.5μgL -1 , S/N=3) and limit of quantification (1.5μgL -1 , S/N=10), and good repeatability expressed by the relative standard deviation (2.0%-4.6%, n=5). The extraction recoveries of four pesticides were found to range from 58.9% to 85.8%. The reliability of the proposed method was demonstrated by analyzing environmental water samples, and the results revealed satisfactory spiked recovery, relative standard deviation, and selectivity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid determination of moisture content in paper materials by multiple headspace extraction gas chromatography.

PubMed

Xie, Wei-Qi; Chai, Xin-Sheng

2016-04-22

This paper describes a new method for the rapid determination of the moisture content in paper materials. The method is based on multiple headspace extraction gas chromatography (MHE-GC) at a temperature above the boiling point of water, from which an integrated water loss from the tested sample due to evaporation can be measured and from which the moisture content in the sample can be determined. The results show that the new method has a good precision (with the relative standard deviation <0.96%), high sensitivity (the limit of quantitation=0.005%) and good accuracy (the relative differences <1.4%). Therefore, the method is quite suitable for many uses in research and industrial applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Linum usitatissimum L. oil obtained from different extraction technique and in vitro antioxidant potential of supercritical fluid extract

PubMed Central

Chauhan, Rishika; Chester, Karishma; Khan, Yasmeen; Tamboli, Ennus Tajuddin; Ahmad, Sayeed

2015-01-01

Aim: Present investigation was aimed to characterize the fixed oil of Linum usitatissimum L. using five different extraction methods: Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), ultrasound-assistance, soxhlet extraction, solvent extraction, and three phase partitioning method. Materials and Methods: The SFE conditions (temperature, pressure, and volume of CO2) were optimized prior for better yield. The extracted oils were analyzed and compared for their physiochemical parameters, high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) fingerprinting. Antioxidant activity was also determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and superoxide scavenging method. Result: The main fatty acids were α-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid as obtained by GC-MS. HPTLC analysis revealed the presence of similar major components in chromatograms. Similarly, the pattern of peaks, as obtained in FT-IR and GC-MS spectra of same oils by different extraction methods, were superimposable. Conclusion: Analysis reported that the fixed oil of L. usitatissimum L. is a good source of n-3 fatty acid with the significant antioxidant activity of oil obtained from SFE extraction method. PMID:26681884

Bioactivity studies of extracts from Tridax procumbens.

PubMed

Taddei, A; Rosas-Romero, A J

2000-06-01

An updated review on the biological activity of Tridax procumbens is presented. A detailed biological screening comprised of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, yeasts and fungi using crude extracts of this plant was undertaken. The n-hexane extract of the flowers showed activity against Escherichia coli. The same extract of the whole aerial parts was active against Mycobacterium smegmatis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella group C and Salmonella paratyphi. The ethyl-acetate extract of the flowers was active against Bacillus cereus and Klebsiella sp. The aerial parts extract also showed activity only against Mycobacterium smegmatis and Staphylococcus aureus, while the aqueous extract showed no antimicrobial activity. None of the tested extracts was active against the yeasts, Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Rhodotorula rubra; or the fungi: Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Mucor sp. and Trichophyton rubrum.

Avoiding or restricting defectors in public goods games?

PubMed

Han, The Anh; Pereira, Luís Moniz; Lenaerts, Tom

2015-02-06

When creating a public good, strategies or mechanisms are required to handle defectors. We first show mathematically and numerically that prior agreements with posterior compensations provide a strategic solution that leads to substantial levels of cooperation in the context of public goods games, results that are corroborated by available experimental data. Notwithstanding this success, one cannot, as with other approaches, fully exclude the presence of defectors, raising the question of how they can be dealt with to avoid the demise of the common good. We show that both avoiding creation of the common good, whenever full agreement is not reached, and limiting the benefit that disagreeing defectors can acquire, using costly restriction mechanisms, are relevant choices. Nonetheless, restriction mechanisms are found the more favourable, especially in larger group interactions. Given decreasing restriction costs, introducing restraining measures to cope with public goods free-riding issues is the ultimate advantageous solution for all participants, rather than avoiding its creation. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Selective Extraction of Flavonoids from Sophora flavescens Ait. by Mechanochemistry.

PubMed

Zhang, Qihong; Yu, Jingbo; Wang, Yingyao; Su, Weike

2016-07-29

Flavonoids from Sophora flavescens were selectively extracted by mechanochemical-promoted extraction technology (MPET) after using response surface methodology to determine the optimal extraction parameters. The highest yield of 35.17 mg/g was achieved by grinding the roots with Na₂CO₃ (15%) at 440 rpm/min for 17.0 min and water was used as the sole solvent with a ratio of solvent to solid material of 25 mL/g. Flavonoids prepared by MPET demonstrated relatively higher antioxidant activities in subsequent DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays. Main constituents in the extracts, including kurarinol, kushenol I/N and kurarinone, were characterized by HPLC-MS/MS, indicating good selective extraction by MPET. Physicochemical property changes of powder during mechanochemical milling were identified by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and UV-Vis diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy. Compared with traditional extraction methods, MPET possesses notable advantages of higher selectivity, lower extraction temperature, shorter extraction time, and organic solvent free properties.

Magnetic micro-solid-phase extraction based on magnetite-MCM-41 with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the determination of antidepressant drugs in biological fluids.

PubMed

Kamaruzaman, Sazlinda; Sanagi, Mohd Marsin; Yahaya, Noorfatimah; Wan Ibrahim, Wan Aini; Endud, Salasiah; Wan Ibrahim, Wan Nazihah

2017-11-01

A new facile magnetic micro-solid-phase extraction coupled to gas chromatography and mass spectrometry detection was developed for the extraction and determination of selected antidepressant drugs in biological fluids using magnetite-MCM-41 as adsorbent. The synthesized sorbent was characterized by several spectroscopic techniques. The maximum extraction efficiency for extraction of 500 μg/L antidepressant drugs from aqueous solution was obtained with 15 mg of magnetite-MCM-41 at pH 12. The analyte was desorbed using 100 μL of acetonitrile prior to gas chromatography determination. This method was rapid in which the adsorption procedure was completed in 60 s. Under the optimized conditions using 15 mL of antidepressant drugs sample, the calibration curve showed good linearity in the range of 0.05-500 μg/L (r 2  = 0.996-0.999). Good limits of detection (0.008-0.010 μg/L) were obtained for the analytes with good relative standard deviations of <8.0% (n = 5) for the determination of 0.1, 5.0, and 500.0 μg/L of antidepressant drugs. This method was successfully applied to the determination of amitriptyline and chlorpromazine in plasma and urine samples. The recoveries of spiked plasma and urine samples were in the range of 86.1-115.4%. Results indicate that magnetite micro-solid-phase extraction with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry is a convenient, fast, and economical method for the extraction and determination of amitriptyline and chlorpromazine in biological samples. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

PRISMA and AMSTAR Show Systematic Reviews of Health Literacy and Cancer Screening are Good Quality.

PubMed

Sharma, Sakshi; Oremus, Mark

2018-04-11

To evaluate the reporting and methodological quality of systematic reviews (SRs) in health literacy and cancer screening; to investigate factors that may influence overall quality. A review of SRs published between 2009 and 2017. We calculated indices to represent the included SRs' adherence to PRISMA and AMSTAR. To assess possible determinants of SR quality, we regressed the index scores on year and region of publication, journal impact factor, authors' reported use of PRISMA, and presence of funding statements. We included 19 SRs and median index scores were 0.86 for PRISMA (interquartile range [IQR] = 0.11; range = 0.32 to 1.00) and 0.67 for AMSTAR (IQR = 0.30; range = 0.22 to 1.00). Methodological and reporting problems pertained to protocol registration or publication, number of raters used, gray literature searches, excluded article lists, and unintegrated discussions of risk of bias and efficacy. Only journal impact factor was statistically significantly associated (positively) with PRISMA and AMSTAR index scores. The quality of SRs in health literacy and cancer screening was generally good. Systematic reviewers should register or publish their protocols, include PRISMA and AMSTAR checklists when submitting SRs to journals, and self-evaluate their SRs before submission. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

In vitro antioxidant and in vivo photoprotective effect of pistachio (Pistacia vera L., variety Bronte) seed and skin extracts.

PubMed

Martorana, Maria; Arcoraci, Teresita; Rizza, Luisa; Cristani, Mariateresa; Bonina, Francesco Paolo; Saija, Antonina; Trombetta, Domenico; Tomaino, Antonio

2013-03-01

Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) nuts are a rich source of phenolic compounds, known for their high antioxidant activity, and contained not only in the seeds but also in the skin. A pistachio cultivar of high quality is typical of Bronte, Sicily, Italy. The purpose of our study was to investigate the chemical composition and antioxidant properties of two polyphenol-rich extracts from skins (TP) and decorticated seeds (SP) of Bronte pistachios, and to verify the potential use of these extracts for topical photoprotective products. Chemical analysis showed that the TP and SP extracts contain high levels of phenolic compounds, but the TP extract is about ten times richer in phenols than the SP extract, being anthocyanins the most abundant compounds found in the TP extract. Both these extracts, and especially the TP extract, possess good radical scavenger/antioxidant properties, as shown in a series of in vitro assays carried out using homogenous and non-homogenous chemical environment. Furthermore both the TP extract and, although at a lower degree, the SP extract reduce, when topically applied, UV-B-induced skin erythema in human volunteers. These findings suggest that extracts from Bronte TP and SP could be successfully employed as photoprotective ingredients in topical cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pharmacological effects of the phytochemicals of Anethum sowa L. root extracts.

PubMed

Saleh-E-In, Md Moshfekus; Sultana, Nasim; Hossain, Md Nur; Hasan, Sayeema; Islam, Md Rabiul

2016-11-14

Anethum sowa L. is widely used as an important spice and traditional medicinal plants to treat various ailments. On the basis of scientific ethnobotanical information, this study was undertaken to evaluate the antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of the crude extracts of Anethum sowa L. roots as well as to identify the classes of phytochemicals by chemical tests. The antioxidant potential of the extracts was ascertained with the stable organic free radical (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl). The agar well diffusion method was used to determine the susceptibility of bacterial and fungal strains of the crude extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were determined by the microdilution test. Cytotoxic activities were screened using brine shrimps (Artemia salina) lethality assay. Finally, phytochemicals were profiled using standard procedures. A preliminary phytochemical screening of the different crude extracts by methanol, ethyl acetate and chloroform showed the presence of secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, alkaloids, saponin, cardiac glycosides and tannins while cyanogenetic glycosides were not detected. The methanol, ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts displayed high antioxidant activity (IC 50  = 13.08 ± 0.03, 33.48 ± 0.16 and 36.42 ± 0.41 μg/mL, respectively) in the DPPH assay comparable to that of the standard ascorbic acid and BHT (IC 50  = 3.74 ± 0.05 and 11.84 ± 0.29 μg/mL). The cytotoxic activity of the crude ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts possessed excellent activity (LC 50  = 5.03 ± 0.08, 5.23 ± 0.11 and 17.22 ± 0.14 μg/mL, respectively) against brine shrimp larvae after 24 h of treatment and compared with standard vincristine sulphate (LC 50  = 0.46 ± 0.05 μg/mL). The extracts also showed good antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria when compared with two standard

A nonlinear discriminant algorithm for feature extraction and data classification.

PubMed

Santa Cruz, C; Dorronsoro, J R

1998-01-01

This paper presents a nonlinear supervised feature extraction algorithm that combines Fisher's criterion function with a preliminary perceptron-like nonlinear projection of vectors in pattern space. Its main motivation is to combine the approximation properties of multilayer perceptrons (MLP's) with the target free nature of Fisher's classical discriminant analysis. In fact, although MLP's provide good classifiers for many problems, there may be some situations, such as unequal class sizes with a high degree of pattern mixing among them, that may make difficult the construction of good MLP classifiers. In these instances, the features extracted by our procedure could be more effective. After the description of its construction and the analysis of its complexity, we will illustrate its use over a synthetic problem with the above characteristics.

Determination of rutin and quercetin in Chinese herbal medicine by ionic liquid-based pressurized liquid extraction-liquid chromatography-chemiluminescence detection.

PubMed

Wu, Hongwei; Chen, Meilan; Fan, Yunchang; Elsebaei, Fawzi; Zhu, Yan

2012-01-15

A novel ionic liquid-based pressurized liquid extraction (IL-PLE) procedure coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) tandem chemiluminescence (CL) detection capable of quantifying trace amounts of rutin and quercetin in four Chinese medicine plants including Flos sophorae Immaturus, Crateagus pinnatifida Bunge, Hypericum japonicum Thunb and Folium Mori was described in this paper. To avoid environmental pollution and toxicity to the operators, ionic liquids (ILs), 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C(n)mim][Cl]) aqueous solutions were used in the PLE procedure as extractants replacing traditional organic solvents. In addition, chemiluminescence detection was utilized for its minimal interference from endogenous components of complex matrix. Parameters affecting extraction and analysis were carefully optimized. Compared with the conventional ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) and heat-reflux extraction (HRE), the optimized method achieved the highest extraction efficiency in the shortest extraction time with the least solvent consumption. The applicability of the proposed method to real sample was confirmed. Under the optimized conditions, good reproducibility of extraction performance was obtained and good linearity was observed with correlation coefficients (r) between 0.9997 and 0.9999. The detection limits of rutin and quercetin (LOD, S/N=3) were 1.1×10(-2)mg/L and 3.8×10(-3)mg/L, respectively. The average recoveries of rutin and quercetin for real samples were 93.7-105% with relative standard deviation (RSD) lower than 5.7%. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first contribution to utilize a combination of IL-PLE with chemiluminescence detection. And the experimental results indicated that the proposed method shows a promising prospect in extraction and determination of rutin and quercetin in medicinal plants. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of parabens and endocrine-disrupting alkylphenols in soil by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry following matrix solid-phase dispersion or in-column microwave-assisted extraction: a comparative study.

PubMed

Pérez, R A; Albero, B; Miguel, E; Sánchez-Brunete, C

2012-03-01

Two rapid methods were evaluated for the simultaneous extraction of seven parabens and two alkylphenols from soil based on matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). Soil extracts were derivatized with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide and analyzed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. Extraction and clean-up of samples were carried out by both methods in a single step. A glass sample holder, inside the microwave cell, was used in MAE to allow the simultaneous extraction and clean-up of samples and shorten the MAE procedure. The detection limits achieved by MSPD were lower than those obtained by MAE because the presence of matrix interferences increased with this extraction method. The extraction yields obtained by MSPD and MAE for three different types of soils were compared. Both procedures showed good recoveries and sensitivity for the determination of parabens and alkylphenols in two of the soils assayed, however, only MSPD yielded good recoveries with the other soil. Finally, MSPD was applied to the analysis of soils collected in different sites of Spain. In most of the samples analyzed, methylparaben and butylparaben were detected at levels ranging from 1.21 to 8.04 ng g(-1) dry weight and 0.48 to 1.02 ng g(-1) dry weight, respectively.

Comparative study on the antioxidant activities of extracts of Coreopsis tinctoria flowering tops from Kunlun Mountains, Xinjiang, north-western China.

PubMed

Yao, Xincheng; Gu, Chengzhi; Tian, Liping; Wang, Xinbing; Tang, Hui

2016-01-01

Coreopsis tinctoria flowering tops (CTFs) from the Kunlun Mountains in Xinjing (north-western China) have been used for tea production for about a century. This study aims to assess the antioxidant activities and total phenolic, flavonoid and proanthocyanidin contents of various solvent extracts of CTF. CTF was extracted using n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, 75% aqueous ethanol (AEE) and water. The antioxidant activities of the CTF extracts were investigated through DPPH, ABTS, *OH, *O2(-), total antioxidant capacity and reducing power assays. The results showed that n-butanol extract showed the highest contents of total phenols and flavonoids, with DPPH, ABTS and *OH radical-scavenging activities with IC50 values of 134, 90.72 and 13.8 μg mL(-1), respectively. The AEE demonstrated the strongest DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activities, with IC50 values of 103 and 75.16 μg mL(-1), respectively. Given its high antioxidant effect, CTF is a good source of natural antioxidants or functional food materials.

Evaluation of analgesic activity of various extracts of Sida tiagii Bhandari.

PubMed

Kumawat, Ram Kumar; Kumar, Suresh; Sharma, Sunil

2012-01-01

Sida tiagii Bhandari mostly found in India and Pakistan which belongs to family Malvaceae, is traditionally used as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, sedative, anxiolytic, anti-seizure and anti-platelet. The present study was done to explore the analgesic activity of various extracts of fruits of the plant Sida tiagii Bhandari. The grinded fruits were extracted with 90% ethanol and partitioned with n-hexane (n-hexane extract; HS) and ethyl acetate (ethyl acetate extract; EAS), successively. The residual ethanol fraction (residual ethanol extract; RES) was also prepared by drying on water bath separately. All three extracts were administered orally at a dose of 200 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg of body weight. The analgesic activity of above extracts was evaluated by using acetic acid induced writhing, tail immersion and tail flick tests in Swiss albino mice. The EAS extract was found to reduce pain and RES extract of Sida tiagii B. was found to have good analgesic activity in comparison to other extracts.

Evaluation of antioxidant and cytoprotective activities of Arnica montana L. and Artemisia absinthium L. ethanolic extracts

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Arnica montana L. and Artemisia absinthium L. (Asteraceae) are medicinal plants native to temperate regions of Europe, including Romania, traditionally used for treatment of skin wounds, bruises and contusions. In the present study, A. montana and A. absinthium ethanolic extracts were evaluated for their chemical composition, antioxidant activity and protective effect against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in a mouse fibroblast-like NCTC cell line. Results A. absinthium extract showed a higher antioxidant capacity than A. montana extract as Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, Oxygen radical absorbance capacity and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical-scavenging activity, in correlation with its flavonoids and phenolic acids content. Both plant extracts had significant effects on the growth of NCTC cells in the range of 10–100 mg/L A. montana and 10–500 mg/L A. absinthium. They also protected fibroblast cells against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative damage, at the same doses. The best protection was observed in cell pre-treatment with 10 mg/L A. montana and 10–300 mg/L A. absinthium, respectively, as determined by Neutral red and lactate dehydrogenase assays. In addition, cell pre-treatment with plant extracts, at these concentrations, prevented morphological changes induced by hydrogen peroxide. Flow-cytometry analysis showed that pre-treatment with A. montana and A. absinthium extracts restored the proportion of cells in each phase of the cell cycle. Conclusions A. montana and A. absinthium extracts, rich in flavonoids and phenolic acids, showed a good antioxidant activity and cytoprotective effect against oxidative damage in fibroblast-like cells. These results provide scientific support for the traditional use of A. montana and A. absinthium in treatment of skin disorders. PMID:22958433

Sorption of Cu(2+) on humic acids sequentially extracted from a sediment.

PubMed

Yang, Kun; Miao, Gangfen; Wu, Wenhao; Lin, Daohui; Pan, Bo; Wu, Fengchang; Xing, Baoshan

2015-11-01

In addition to the diverse properties of humic acids (HAs) extracted from different soils or sediments, chemical compositions, functional groups and structures of HAs extracted from a single soil or sediment could also be diverse and thus significantly affect sorption of heavy metals, which is a key process controlling the transfer, transformation and fate of heavy metals in the environment. In this study, we sequentially extracted four HA fractions from a single sediment and conducted the sorption experiments of Cu(2+) on these HA fractions. Our results showed that aromaticity and acidic group content of HA fraction decreased with increasing extraction. Earlier extracted HA fraction had higher sorption capacity and affinity for Cu(2+). There were two fractions of adsorbed Cu(2+) on HAs, i.e., ion exchanged fraction and surface bonded fraction, which can be captured mechanically by the bi-Langmuir model with good isotherm fitting. The ion exchanged fraction had larger sorption capacity but lower sorption affinity, compared with the surface bonded fraction. The dissociated carboxyl groups of HAs were responsible for both fractions of Cu(2+) sorption, due to the more Cu(2+) sorption on the earlier extracted HA fraction with more carboxyl groups and at higher pH. The intensive competition between H(+) and the exchangeable Cu(2+) could result in the decrease of ion exchanged capacity and affinity for Cu(2+) on HAs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The fruit extract of Berberis crataegina DC: exerts potent antioxidant activity and protects DNA integrity.

PubMed

Charehsaz, Mohammad; Sipahi, Hande; Celep, Engin; Üstündağ, Aylin; Cemiloğlu Ülker, Özge; Duydu, Yalçın; Aydın, Ahmet; Yesilada, Erdem

2015-04-17

Dried fruits of Berberis crataegina (Berberidaceae) have been frequently consumed as food garniture in Turkish cuisine, while its fruit paste has been used to increase stamina and in particular to prevent from cardiovascular dysfunctions in Northeastern Black Sea region of Turkey. This study investigated this folkloric information in order to explain the claimed healing effects as well as to evaluate possible risks. Total phenolic, flavonoid and proanthocyanidin contents and antioxidant capacity of the methanolic fruit extract were evaluated through several in vitro assays. The cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of B. crataegina fruit extract were also assessed in both cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) and human peripheral blood lymphocytes. The extract showed protective effects against ferric-induced oxidative stress and had a relatively good antioxidant activity. It also ameliorated the H2O2 mediated DNA damage in lymphocytes, suggesting the protective effect against oxidative DNA damage. The methanolic extract of B. crataegina fruits may be a potential antioxidant nutrient and also may exert a protective role against lipid peroxidation as well as oxidative DNA damage.

Improving the signal subtle feature extraction performance based on dual improved fractal box dimension eigenvectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiang; Li, Jingchao; Han, Hui; Ying, Yulong

2018-05-01

Because of the limitations of the traditional fractal box-counting dimension algorithm in subtle feature extraction of radiation source signals, a dual improved generalized fractal box-counting dimension eigenvector algorithm is proposed. First, the radiation source signal was preprocessed, and a Hilbert transform was performed to obtain the instantaneous amplitude of the signal. Then, the improved fractal box-counting dimension of the signal instantaneous amplitude was extracted as the first eigenvector. At the same time, the improved fractal box-counting dimension of the signal without the Hilbert transform was extracted as the second eigenvector. Finally, the dual improved fractal box-counting dimension eigenvectors formed the multi-dimensional eigenvectors as signal subtle features, which were used for radiation source signal recognition by the grey relation algorithm. The experimental results show that, compared with the traditional fractal box-counting dimension algorithm and the single improved fractal box-counting dimension algorithm, the proposed dual improved fractal box-counting dimension algorithm can better extract the signal subtle distribution characteristics under different reconstruction phase space, and has a better recognition effect with good real-time performance.

Chemical characterization and extractives composition of heartwood and sapwood from Quercus faginea.

PubMed

Miranda, Isabel; Sousa, Vicelina; Ferreira, Joana; Pereira, Helena

2017-01-01

Heartwood and sapwood of Quercus faginea were evaluated in relation to summative chemical composition and non-polar and polar extracts composition, including an assessment of antioxidant properties (DPPH and FRAP). Twenty trees from two sites in Portugal were analysed. Heartwood had approximately two times more solvent extractible compounds than sapwood (on average 19.0% and 9.5%). The lipophilic extractible compounds were below 1%, and most of them were polar e.g. ethanol-soluble compounds corresponded to 65% of total extractives in heartwood and 43% in sapwood. Lignin content was similar in sapwood and heartwood (28.1% and 28.6% of extractive-free wood respectively) as well as the sugar composition. Site did not influence the chemical composition. The lipophilic extractible compounds from both sapwood and heartwood included mainly saturated fatty acids (23.0% and 36.9% respectively) and aromatic compounds were also abundant in sapwood (22.9%). The ethanol-water extractibles had a high content of phenolic substances (558.0 and 319.4 mg GAE/g extract, respectively of heartwood and sapwood). The polyphenolic composition was similar in heartwood and sapwood with higher content of ellagitannins (168.9 and 153.5 mg tannic acid/g of extract in sapwood and heartwood respectively) and very low content of condensed tannins. The antioxidant activity was very high with IC50 of 2.6 μg/ml and 3.3 μg/ml for sapwood and heartwood respectively, as compared to standard antioxidants (IC50 of 3.8 μg/ml for Trolox). The ferric reducing ability was 2.8 and 2.0 mMol Trolox equivalents/g extract of heartwood and sapwood respectively. The variability between trees was low and no differences between the two sites were found. Q. faginea showed a very good potential for cooperage and other applications for which a source of compounds with antioxidant properties is desirable.

Extraction of allyl isothiocyanate from horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) and its fumigant insecticidal activity on four stored-product pests of paddy.

PubMed

Wu, Hua; Zhang, Guo-An; Zeng, Shuiyun; Lin, Kai-chun

2009-09-01

Isothiocyanates (ITCs) extracted from Armoracia rusticana Gaertn., May & Scherb. have been shown previously to have insecticidal activity. Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a major component of ITCs with high volatility, was therefore extracted using different methods and tested as a fumigant against four major pest species of stored products, maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais (Motsch.), lesser grain borer Rhizopertha dominica (F.), Tribolium ferrugineum (F.) and book louse Liposcelis entomophila (Enderlein). Whereas there was no significant difference between hydrodistillation and supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extraction in extraction rate for AITC from A. rusticana, both methods resulted in higher extraction efficiency than water extraction. AITC fumigation showed strong toxicity to the four species of stored-product pests. Adult mortality of 100% of all four pest species, recorded after 72 h exposure to AITC fumes at an atmospheric concentration of 3 microg mL(-1), showed no significant difference from that of insects exposed to phosphine at 5 microg mL(-1), the recommended dose for phosphine. The results suggest good insecticidal efficacy of AITC against the four stored-product pests, with non-gaseous residuals on stored products. AITC obtained from A. rusticana may be an alternative to phosphine and methyl bromide against the four pest species. Copyright 2009 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Determination of heavy metals for RoHS compliance by ICP-OES spectrometry coupled with microwave extraction system].

PubMed

Hua, Li; Wu, Yi-Ping; An, Bing; Lai, Xiao-Wei

2008-11-01

The harm of heavy metals contained in electronic and electrical equipment (EEE) on environment is of high concern by human. Aiming to handle the great challenge of RoHS compliance, the determinations of trace or ultratrace chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was performed in the present paper, wherein, microwave extraction technology was used to prepare the sample solutions. In addition, the precision, recovery, repeatability and interference issues of this method were also discussed. The results exhibited that using the microwave extraction system to prepare samples is more quick, lossless, contamination-free in comparison with the conventional extraction methods such as dry ashing, wet-oven extraction etc. By analyzing the recoveries of these four heavy metals over different working time and wavelengths, the good recovery range between 85% and 115% showed that there was only tiny loss or contamination during the process of microwave extraction, sample introduction and ICP detection. Repeatability experiments proved that ICP plasma had a good stability during the working time and the matrix effect was small. Interference was a problem troublesome for atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), however, the techniques of standard additions or inter-element correction (IEC) method can effectively eliminated the interferences of Ni, As, Fe etc. with the Cd determination. By employing the multi-wavelengths and two correction point methods, the issues of background curve sloping shift and spectra overlap were successfully overcome. Besides, for the determinations of trace heavy metal elements, the relative standard deviation (RSD) was less than 3% and the detection limits were less than 1 microg x L(-10 (3sigma, n = 5) for samples, standard solutions, and standard additions, which proved that ICP-OES has a good precision and high reliability. This provided a reliable technique support

Antimicrobial Activities of Leaf Extracts of Guava (Psidium guajava L.) on Two Gram-Negative and Gram-Positive Bacteria

PubMed Central

Biswas, Bipul; Rogers, Kimberly; McLaughlin, Fredrick; Yadav, Anand

2013-01-01

Aim. To determine the antimicrobial potential of guava (Psidium guajava) leaf extracts against two gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis) and two gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) which are some of foodborne and spoilage bacteria. The guava leaves were extracted in four different solvents of increasing polarities (hexane, methanol, ethanol, and water). The efficacy of these extracts was tested against those bacteria through a well-diffusion method employing 50 μL leaf-extract solution per well. According to the findings of the antibacterial assay, the methanol and ethanol extracts of the guava leaves showed inhibitory activity against gram-positive bacteria, whereas the gram-negative bacteria were resistant to all the solvent extracts. The methanol extract had an antibacterial activity with mean zones of inhibition of 8.27 and 12.3 mm, and the ethanol extract had a mean zone of inhibition of 6.11 and 11.0 mm against B. cereus and S. aureus, respectively. On the basis of the present finding, guava leaf-extract might be a good candidate in the search for a natural antimicrobial agent. This study provides scientific understanding to further determine the antimicrobial values and investigate other pharmacological properties. PMID:24223039

In vitro effect of branch extracts of Juniperus species from Turkey on Staphylococcus aureus biofilm.

PubMed

Marino, Andreana; Bellinghieri, Valentina; Nostro, Antonia; Miceli, Natalizia; Taviano, Maria Fernanda; Güvenç, Ayşegül; Bisignano, Giuseppe

2010-08-01

Methanol and aqueous branch extracts of five Juniperus species were examined for their effects on Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538P and S. aureus 810 biofilm. The Turkish plant material was Juniperus communis L. var. communis, J. communis L. var. saxatilis Pall., Juniperus drupacea Labill., Juniperus oxycedrus L. ssp. oxycedrus, J. oxycedrus L. ssp. macrocarpa (Sibth. & Sm.) Ball. The Juniperus extracts were subjected to preliminary phytochemical analysis by thin-layer chromatography. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). The effects of the extracts on biofilm formation and preformed biofilm were quantified by both biomass OD and the CFU counting method. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of polyphenols, coumarins, lignans, steroids, alkaloids and terpenes. For both strains, the MICs of all extracts were in the range of 4.88-78.12 microg mL(-1). On S. aureus ATCC 6538P, the effects of subinhibitory concentration (0.5 MIC) of the extracts were minimal on planktonic growth and on adhering cells, whereas they were greater on biofilm formation. Differently, on S. aureus 810, they showed only a rather low efficacy on biofilm formation. The extracts at 2 MIC demonstrated a good activity on a preformed biofilm of S. aureus ATCC 6538P.

An improved active contour model for glacial lake extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, H.; Chen, F.; Zhang, M.

2017-12-01

Active contour model is a widely used method in visual tracking and image segmentation. Under the driven of objective function, the initial curve defined in active contour model will evolve to a stable condition - a desired result in given image. As a typical region-based active contour model, C-V model has a good effect on weak boundaries detection and anti noise ability which shows great potential in glacial lake extraction. Glacial lake is a sensitive indicator for reflecting global climate change, therefore accurate delineate glacial lake boundaries is essential to evaluate hydrologic environment and living environment. However, the current method in glacial lake extraction mainly contains water index method and recognition classification method are diffcult to directly applied in large scale glacial lake extraction due to the diversity of glacial lakes and masses impacted factors in the image, such as image noise, shadows, snow and ice, etc. Regarding the abovementioned advantanges of C-V model and diffcults in glacial lake extraction, we introduce the signed pressure force function to improve the C-V model for adapting to processing of glacial lake extraction. To inspect the effect of glacial lake extraction results, three typical glacial lake development sites were selected, include Altai mountains, Centre Himalayas, South-eastern Tibet, and Landsat8 OLI imagery was conducted as experiment data source, Google earth imagery as reference data for varifying the results. The experiment consequence suggests that improved active contour model we proposed can effectively discriminate the glacial lakes from complex backgound with a higher Kappa Coefficient - 0.895, especially in some small glacial lakes which belongs to weak information in the image. Our finding provide a new approach to improved accuracy under the condition of large proportion of small glacial lakes and the possibility for automated glacial lake mapping in large-scale area.

Good Education, the Good Teacher, and a Practical Art of Living a Good Life: A Catholic Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hermans, Chris

2017-01-01

What is good education? We value education for reasons connected to the good provided by education in society. This good is connected to be the pedagogical aim of education. This article distinguishes five criteria for good education based on the concept of "Bildung". Next, these five criteria are used to develop the idea of the good…

Single pot synthesized gold nanoparticles using Hippophae rhamnoides leaf and berry extract showed shape-dependent differential nanobiotechnological applications.

PubMed

Sharma, Bhavana; Deswal, Renu

2018-04-04

A facile one-pot green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with different geometries was achieved using an underutilized Himalayan bioresource Hippophae rhamnoides. Aqueous leaf (LE) and berry extracts (BE) showed rapid synthesis of monodispersed spherical LEAuNPs (27 ± 3.2 nm) and anisotropic BEAuNPs (55 ± 4.5 nm) within 2 and 15 min, respectively. The Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy showed involvement of polyphenolics/flavonoids in AuNPs reduction. LE AuNPs (IC 50 49 µg) exhibited higher antioxidant potential than BE AuNPs (IC 50 57 µg). Both BE nanotriangles and LE nanospheres exhibited cytotoxicity against Jurkat cell lines. These nanocatalysts also exhibited effective (80-99%) reductive degradation of structurally different carcinogenic azo dyes. Kinetic studies revealed that BE nanotriangles exhibited higher catalytic efficiency (14-67%) than LE nanospheres suggesting shape-dependent regulation of biological activities. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis confirmed conversion of toxic methyl orange dye to non-toxic intermediates. Probable degradation mechanism involving adsorption and catalytic reduction of azo bonds was proposed. The present synthesis protocol provided a facile and energy saving procedure for rapid synthesis of highly stable nanoparticles with significant antioxidant and anticancer potential. This is the first report of H. rhamnoides-mediated green synthesis of multipurpose AuNPs as antioxidant, anticancer and nanocatalytic agents for treatment of dye contaminated waste water and future therapeutic applications.

Comparison of solid phase extraction, saponification and gel permeation chromatography for the clean-up of microwave-assisted biological extracts in the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

PubMed

Navarro, P; Cortazar, E; Bartolomé, L; Deusto, M; Raposo, J C; Zuloaga, O; Arana, G; Etxebarria, N

2006-09-22

The feasibility of different clean-up procedures was studied for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in biota samples such as oysters, mussels and fish liver. In this sense, once the samples were extracted--essentially with acetone and in a microwave system--and before they could be analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), three different approaches were studied for the clean-up step: solid phase extraction (SPE), microwave-assisted saponification (MAS) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The main aim of this work was to maximise the recoveries of PAHs and to minimise the presence of interfering compounds in the last extract. In the case of SPE, Florisil cartridges of 1, 2 and 5 g, and silica cartridges of 5 g were studied. In that case, and with oysters and mussels, microwave-assisted extraction and 5 g Florisil cartridges provided good results. In addition, the concentrations obtained for Standard Reference Material (SRM) NIST 2977 (mussel tissue) were in good agreement with the certified values. In the case of microwave-assisted saponification, the extracts were not as clean as those obtained with 5 g Florisil and this fact lead to overestimate the concentration of the heaviest PAHs. Finally, the cleanest extracts were obtained by GPC. The method was successfully applied to mussels, oysters and hake liver, and the results obtained for NIST 2977 (mussel tissue) were within the confidence interval of the certified reference material for most of the certified analytes.

Optimization of extraction parameters of pentacyclic triterpenoids from Swertia chirata stem using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Pandey, Devendra Kumar; Kaur, Prabhjot

2018-03-01

In the present investigation, pentacyclic triterpenoids were extracted from different parts of Swertia chirata by solid-liquid reflux extraction methods. The total pentacyclic triterpenoids (UA, OA, and BA) in extracted samples were determined by HPTLC method. Preliminary studies showed that stem part contains the maximum pentacyclic triterpenoid and was chosen for further studies. Response surface methodology (RSM) has been employed successfully by solid-liquid reflux extraction methods for the optimization of different extraction variables viz., temperature ( X 1 35-70 °C), extraction time ( X 2 30-60 min), solvent composition ( X 3 20-80%), solvent-to-solid ratio ( X 4 30-60 mlg -1 ), and particle size ( X 5 3-6 mm) on maximum recovery of triterpenoid from stem parts of Swertia chirata . A Plackett-Burman design has been used initially to screen out the three extraction factors viz., particle size, temperature, and solvent composition on yield of triterpenoid. Moreover, central composite design (CCD) was implemented to optimize the significant extraction parameters for maximum triterpenoid yield. Three extraction parameters viz., mean particle size (3 mm), temperature (65 °C), and methanol-ethyl acetate solvent composition (45%) can be considered as significant for the better yield of triterpenoid A second-order polynomial model satisfactorily fitted the experimental data with the R 2 values of 0.98 for the triterpenoid yield ( p  < 0.001), implying good agreement between the experimental triterpenoid yield (3.71%) to the predicted value (3.79%).

Anti-bacterial activity and brine shrimp lethality bioassay of methanolic extracts of fourteen different edible vegetables from Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Ullah, M. Obayed; Haque, Mahmuda; Urmi, Kaniz Fatima; Zulfiker, Abu Hasanat Md.; Anita, Elichea Synthi; Begum, Momtaj; Hamid, Kaiser

2013-01-01

Objective To investigate the antibacterial and cytotoxic activity of fourteen different edible vegetables methanolic extract from Bangladesh. Methods The antibacterial activity was evaluated using disc diffusion assay method against 12 bacteria (both gram positive and gram negative). The plant extracts were also screened for cytotoxic activity using the brine shrimp lethality bioassay method and the lethal concentrations (LC50) were determined at 95% confidence intervals by analyzing the data on a computer loaded with “Finney Programme”. Results All the vegetable extracts showed low to elevated levels of antibacterial activity against most of the tested strains (zone of inhibition=5-28 mm). The most active extract against all bacterial strains was from Xanthium indicum which showed remarkable antibacterial activity having the diameter of growth inhibition zone ranging from 12 to 28 mm followed by Alternanthera sessilis (zone of inhibition=6-21 mm). All extracts exhibited considerable general toxicity towards brine shrimps. The LC50 value of the tested extracts was within the range of 8.447 to 60.323 µg/mL with respect to the positive control (vincristine sulphate) which was 0.91 µg/mL. Among all studied extracts, Xanthium indicum displayed the highest cytotoxic effect with LC50 value of 8.447 µg/mL. Conclusions The results of the present investigation suggest that most of the studied plants are potentially good source of antibacterial and anticancer agents. PMID:23570009

Chromatographic finger print analysis of anti-inflammatory active extract fractions of aerial parts of Tribulus terrestris by HPTLC technique

PubMed Central

Mohammed, Mona Salih; Alajmi, Mohamed Fahad; Alam, Perwez; Khalid, Hassan Subki; Mahmoud, Abelkhalig Muddathir; Ahmed, Wadah Jamal

2014-01-01

Objective To develop HPTLC fingerprint profile of anti-inflammatory active extract fractions of Tribulus terrestris (family Zygophyllaceae). Methods The anti-inflammatory activity was tested for the methanol and its fractions (chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous) and chloroform extract of Tribulus terrestris (aerial parts) by injecting different groups of rats (6 each) with carrageenan in hind paw and measuring the edema volume before and 1, 2 and 3 h after carrageenan injection. Control group received saline i.p. The extracts treatment was injected i.p. in doses of 200 mg/kg 1 h before carrageenan administration. Indomethacin (30 mg/kg) was used as standard. HPTLC studies were carried out using CAMAG HPTLC system equipped with Linomat IV applicator, TLC scanner 3, Reprostar 3, CAMAG ADC 2 and WIN CATS-4 software for the active fractions of chloroform fraction of methanol extract. Results The methanol extract showed good antiedematous effect with percentage of inhibition more than 72%, indicating its ability to inhibit the inflammatory mediators. The methanol extract was re-dissolved in 100 mL of distilled water and fractionated with chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. The four fractions (chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous) were subjected to anti-inflammatory activity. Chloroform fraction showed good anti-inflammatory activity at dose of 200 mg/kg. Chloroform fraction was then subjected to normal phase silica gel column chromatography and eluted with petroleum ether-chloroform, chloroform-ethyl acetate mixtures of increasing polarity which produced 15 fractions (F1-F15). Only fractions F1, F2, F4, F5, F7, F9, F11 and F14 were found to be active, hence these were analyzed with HPTLC to develop their finger print profile. These fractions showed different spots with different Rf values. Conclusions The different chloroform fractions F1, F2, F4, F5, F7, F9, F11 and F14 revealed 4, 7, 7, 8, 9, 7, 7 and 6 major spots, respectively. The

On the Extraction of Angular Velocity from Attitude Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Itzhack, I. Y.; Harman, Richard R.; Thienel, Julie K.

2006-01-01

In this paper we research the extraction of the angular rate vector from attitude information without differentiation, in particular from quaternion measurements. We show that instead of using a Kalman filter of some kind, it is possible to obtain good rate estimates, suitable for spacecraft attitude control loop damping, using simple feedback loops, thereby eliminating the need for recurrent covariance computation performed when a Kalman filter is used. This considerably simplifies the computations required for rate estimation in gyro-less spacecraft. Some interesting qualities of the Kalman filter gain are explored, proven and utilized. We examine two kinds of feedback loops, one with varying gain that is proportional to the well known Q matrix, which is computed using the measured quaternion, and the other type of feedback loop is one with constant coefficients. The latter type includes two kinds; namely, a proportional feedback loop, and a proportional-integral feedback loop. The various schemes are examined through simulations and their performance is compared. It is shown that all schemes are adequate for extracting the angular velocity at an accuracy suitable for control loop damping.

Extraction of the essential oil from endemic Origanum bilgeri P.H.Davis with two different methods: comparison of the oil composition and antibacterial activity.

PubMed

Sözmen, Fazli; Uysal, Burcu; Köse, Elif Odabaş; Aktaş, Ozgür; Cinbilgel, Ilker; Oksal, Birsen S

2012-07-01

The antibacterial activity and chemical composition of the essential oils (EOs) isolated from Origanum bilgeri P.H.Davis by two different extraction methods, i.e., hydrodistillation (HD) and solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME), were examined. This endemic Origanum species had shown very good antibacterial activity. The composition of the O. bilgeri EOs obtained by SFME and HD was investigated by GC/MS analysis. The main components of the oils obtained by both methods were carvacrol (90.20-84.30%), p-cymene (3.40-5.85%), γ-terpinene (0.47-1.20%), and thymol (0.69-1.08%). The EO isolation by SFME offered many important advantages, including a higher extraction yield, a shorter extraction time, and a higher content of the active component carvacrol. The carvacrol-rich oils obtained by both HD and SFME showed a good antibacterial activity. The largest inhibition zones were observed for the O. bilgeri EO obtained by SFME. Our study suggests that O. bilgeri EO has the potential to be used as preventative against bacterial contamination in many foods, instead of the common synthetic antimicrobial products. Copyright © 2012 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.

Syringe needle-based sampling coupled with liquid-phase extraction for determination of the three-dimensional distribution of l-ascorbic acid in apples.

PubMed

Tang, Sheng; Lee, Hian Kee

2016-05-15

A novel syringe needle-based sampling approach coupled with liquid-phase extraction (NBS-LPE) was developed and applied to the extraction of l-ascorbic acid (AsA) in apple. In NBS-LPE, only a small amount of apple flesh (ca. 10mg) was sampled directly using a syringe needle and placed in a glass insert for liquid extraction of AsA by 80 μL oxalic acid-acetic acid. The extract was then directly analyzed by liquid chromatography. This new procedure is simple, convenient, almost organic solvent free, and causes far less damage to the fruit. To demonstrate the applicability of NBS-LPE, AsA levels at different sampling points in a single apple were determined to reveal the spatial distribution of the analyte in a three-dimensional model. The results also showed that this method had good sensitivity (limit of detection of 0.0097 mg/100g; limit of quantification of 0.0323 mg/100g), acceptable reproducibility (relative standard deviation of 5.01% (n=6)), a wide linear range of between 0.05 and 50mg/100g, and good linearity (r(2)=0.9921). This interesting extraction technique and modeling approach can be used to measure and monitor a wide range of compounds in various parts of different soft-matrix fruits and vegetables, including single specimens. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The risk of bias in systematic reviews tool showed fair reliability and good construct validity.

PubMed

Bühn, Stefanie; Mathes, Tim; Prengel, Peggy; Wegewitz, Uta; Ostermann, Thomas; Robens, Sibylle; Pieper, Dawid

2017-11-01

There is a movement from generic quality checklists toward a more domain-based approach in critical appraisal tools. This study aimed to report on a first experience with the newly developed risk of bias in systematic reviews (ROBIS) tool and compare it with A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR), that is, the most common used tool to assess methodological quality of systematic reviews while assessing validity, reliability, and applicability. Validation study with four reviewers based on 16 systematic reviews in the field of occupational health. Interrater reliability (IRR) of all four raters was highest for domain 2 (Fleiss' kappa κ = 0.56) and lowest for domain 4 (κ = 0.04). For ROBIS, median IRR was κ = 0.52 (range 0.13-0.88) for the experienced pair of raters compared to κ = 0.32 (range 0.12-0.76) for the less experienced pair of raters. The percentage of "yes" scores of each review of ROBIS ratings was strongly correlated with the AMSTAR ratings (r s  = 0.76; P = 0.01). ROBIS has fair reliability and good construct validity to assess the risk of bias in systematic reviews. More validation studies are needed to investigate reliability and applicability, in particular. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Methanol Generates Numerous Artifacts during Sample Extraction and Storage of Extracts in Metabolomics Research

PubMed Central

Sauerschnig, Claudia; Doppler, Maria

2017-01-01

Many metabolomics studies use mixtures of (acidified) methanol and water for sample extraction. In the present study, we investigated if the extraction with methanol can result in artifacts. To this end, wheat leaves were extracted with mixtures of native and deuterium-labeled methanol and water, with or without 0.1% formic acid. Subsequently, the extracts were analyzed immediately or after storage at 10 °C, −20 °C or −80 °C with an HPLC-HESI-QExactive HF-Orbitrap instrument. Our results showed that 88 (8%) of the >1100 detected compounds were derived from the reaction with methanol and either formed during sample extraction or short-term storage. Artifacts were found for various substance classes such as flavonoids, carotenoids, tetrapyrrols, fatty acids and other carboxylic acids that are typically investigated in metabolomics studies. 58 of 88 artifacts were common between the two tested extraction variants. Remarkably, 34 of 73 (acidified extraction solvent) and 33 of 73 (non-acidified extraction solvent) artifacts were formed de novo as none of these meth(ox)ylated metabolites were found after extraction of native leaf samples with CD3OH/H2O. Moreover, sample extracts stored at 10 °C for several days, as can typically be the case during longer measurement sequences, led to an increase in both the number and abundance of methylated artifacts. In contrast, frozen sample extracts were relatively stable during a storage period of one week. Our study shows that caution has to be exercised if methanol is used as the extraction solvent as the detected metabolites might be artifacts rather than natural constituents of the biological system. In addition, we recommend storing sample extracts in deep freezers immediately after extraction until measurement. PMID:29271872

Knee cartilage extraction and bone-cartilage interface analysis from 3D MRI data sets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamez-Pena, Jose G.; Barbu-McInnis, Monica; Totterman, Saara

2004-05-01

This works presents a robust methodology for the analysis of the knee joint cartilage and the knee bone-cartilage interface from fused MRI sets. The proposed approach starts by fusing a set of two 3D MR images the knee. Although the proposed method is not pulse sequence dependent, the first sequence should be programmed to achieve good contrast between bone and cartilage. The recommended second pulse sequence is one that maximizes the contrast between cartilage and surrounding soft tissues. Once both pulse sequences are fused, the proposed bone-cartilage analysis is done in four major steps. First, an unsupervised segmentation algorithm is used to extract the femur, the tibia, and the patella. Second, a knowledge based feature extraction algorithm is used to extract the femoral, tibia and patellar cartilages. Third, a trained user corrects cartilage miss-classifications done by the automated extracted cartilage. Finally, the final segmentation is the revisited using an unsupervised MAP voxel relaxation algorithm. This final segmentation has the property that includes the extracted bone tissue as well as all the cartilage tissue. This is an improvement over previous approaches where only the cartilage was segmented. Furthermore, this approach yields very reproducible segmentation results in a set of scan-rescan experiments. When these segmentations were coupled with a partial volume compensated surface extraction algorithm the volume, area, thickness measurements shows precisions around 2.6%

Antibacterial Activity of Polyaniline Coated Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized from Piper Betle Leaves Extract.

PubMed

Mamun Or Rashida, Md; Shafiul Islam, Md; Azizul Haque, Md; Arifur Rahman, Md; Tanvir Hossain, Md; Abdul Hamid, Md

2016-01-01

Plants or natural resources have been found to be a good alternative method for nanoparticles synthesis. In this study, polyaniline coated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized from Piper betle leaves extract were investigated for their antibacterial activity. Silver nanoparticles were prepared from the reduction of silver nitrate and NaBH4 was used as reducing agent. Silver nanoparticles and extracts were mixed thoroughly and then coated by polyaniline. Prepared nanoparticles were characterized by Visual inspection, Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV), Fourier transform infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) techniques. Antibacterial activities of the synthesized silver nanoparticles were tested against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Salmonella typhi ATCC 14028, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. UV-Vis spectrum of reaction mixture showed strong absorption peak with centering at 400 nm. The FT-IR results imply that Ag-NPs were successfully synthesized and capped with bio-compounds present in P. betle. TEM image showed that Ag-NPs formed were well dispersed with a spherical structures and particle size ranging from 10 to 30 nm. The result revealed that Ag-Extract NPs showed 32.78±0.64 mm zone of inhibition against S. aureus, whereas norfloxacin (positive control) showed maximum 32.15±0.40 mm zone of inhibition for S. aureus. Again, maximum zone of inhibition 29.55±0.45 mm was found for S. typhi, 27.12±0.38 mm for E. coli and 21.95±0.45 mm for P. aeruginosa. The results obtained by this study can't be directly extrapolated to human; so further studies should be undertaken to established the strong antimicrobial activity of Ag-Extract NPs for drug development program.

Antibacterial Activity of Polyaniline Coated Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized from Piper Betle Leaves Extract

PubMed Central

Mamun Or Rashida, Md.; Shafiul Islam, Md.; Azizul Haque, Md.; Arifur Rahman, Md.; Tanvir Hossain, Md.; Abdul Hamid, Md.

2016-01-01

Plants or natural resources have been found to be a good alternative method for nanoparticles synthesis. In this study, polyaniline coated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized from Piper betle leaves extract were investigated for their antibacterial activity. Silver nanoparticles were prepared from the reduction of silver nitrate and NaBH4 was used as reducing agent. Silver nanoparticles and extracts were mixed thoroughly and then coated by polyaniline. Prepared nanoparticles were characterized by Visual inspection, Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV), Fourier transform infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) techniques. Antibacterial activities of the synthesized silver nanoparticles were tested against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Salmonella typhi ATCC 14028, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. UV–Vis spectrum of reaction mixture showed strong absorption peak with centering at 400 nm. The FT-IR results imply that Ag-NPs were successfully synthesized and capped with bio-compounds present in P. betle. TEM image showed that Ag-NPs formed were well dispersed with a spherical structures and particle size ranging from 10 to 30 nm. The result revealed that Ag-Extract NPs showed 32.78±0.64 mm zone of inhibition against S. aureus, whereas norfloxacin (positive control) showed maximum 32.15±0.40 mm zone of inhibition for S. aureus. Again, maximum zone of inhibition 29.55±0.45 mm was found for S. typhi, 27.12±0.38 mm for E. coli and 21.95±0.45 mm for P. aeruginosa. The results obtained by this study can’t be directly extrapolated to human; so further studies should be undertaken to established the strong antimicrobial activity of Ag-Extract NPs for drug development program. PMID:27642330

Protection against UV-induced oxidative stress and DNA damage by Amazon moss extracts.

PubMed

Fernandes, A S; Mazzei, J L; Evangelista, H; Marques, M R C; Ferraz, E R A; Felzenszwalb, I

2018-04-27

Amazon mosses, such as Holomitriopsis laevifolia and Leucobryum sp. are naturally exposed to high levels of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Theoretically, under environmental stress conditions these mosses have developed protective chemical and metabolic strategies against UV damage, by way of biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, such as flavonoids. The present paper aimed to evaluate the free-radical scavenging activity, and the photoprotective, mutagenic and photomutagenic potencies of the methanolic (ME), aqueous (AE), hydroalcoholic (HE), ethanolic (EE) extracts of H. laevifolia and Leucobryum sp. The phenolic contents were evaluated by spectrophotometry and by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The present findings showed that the AE and HE of H. laevifolia and the AE of Leucobryum sp. presented the highest phenolic contents. The HPLC analysis indicated the presence mainly of phenolic and cinnamic acids, flavonols, flavones and flavanones. The AE and EE of H. laevifolia and the AE and HE of Leucobryum sp. efficiently scavenged the 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. All extracts showed significant values of in vitro Sun Protection Factor alone, and HE of Leucobryum sp. showed a synergistic effect in association with benzophenone-3. None of the extracts induced mutagenicity in the auxotrophic strains for histidine of Salmonella typhimurium, and photomutagenicity of the TA102 and TA104 strains was not detected after exposure to UV-A radiation. Besides, all extracts showed photoprotective activity against UV-A radiation for the TA104 strain, including synergistic protection in association with BP-3. Thus, the constituents in H. Laevifolia and Leucobryum sp. could be good candidates for cosmetic and dermatological applications, particularly in association with synthetic UV filters, since the concentration of the filters in the final product could be reduced. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of fructooligosaccharides in burdock using HPLC and microwave-assisted extraction.

PubMed

Li, Jing; Liu, Xiaomei; Zhou, Bin; Zhao, Jing; Li, Shaoping

2013-06-19

The root of burdock ( Arctium lappa L.) is a commonly used vegetable in Asia. Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are usually considered as its main bioactive components. Thus, quantitative analysis of these components is very important for the quality control of burdock. In this study, an HPLC-ELSD and microwave-assisted extraction method was developed for the simultaneous determination of seven FOS with degrees of polymerization (DP) between 3 and 9, as well as fructose, glucose, and sucrose in burdock from different regions. The separation was performed on a Waters XBridge Amide column (4.6 × 250 mm i.d., 3.5 μm) with gradient elution. All calibration curves for investigated analytes showed good linear regression (r > 0.9990). Their LODs and LOQs were lower than 3.63 and 24.82 μg/mL, respectively. The recoveries ranged from 99.2 to 102.6%. The developed method was successfully applied to determination of ten sugars in burdock from different locations of Asia. The results showed that the contents of FOS in different samples of burdock collected at appropriate times were similar, and the developed HPLC-ELSD with microwave-assisted extraction method is helpful to control the quality of burdock.

Solid-phase extraction clean-up of ciguatoxin-contaminated coral fish extracts for use in the mouse bioassay.

PubMed

Wong, Chun Kwan; Hung, Patricia; Lee, Kellie L H; Kam, Kai Man

2009-02-01

Florisil solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges were used for purifying ciguatoxin (CTX)-contaminated coral fish extracts, with the aim of removing extracted lipid but retaining optimal level of CTXs in the purified fractions. The CTX-containing fraction (target fraction) in fish ether extract was isolated and purified by eluting through a commercially available Florisil cartridge with hexane-acetone-methanol solvent mixtures of increasing polarity (hexane-acetone (4:1, v/v) < acetone-methanol (7:3, v/v) < 100% methanol). Application of Florisil SPE using acetone-methanol (7:3, v/v) condition facilitated the separation of 4.2 +/- 0.4 mg (mean +/- standard error of the mean (SEM)) of purified target fraction from 20 mg ether extract with good retention of CTXs. The mouse bioassay was used to demonstrate that the average CTX recovery of the target fraction from CTX-spiked samples was 75.8% +/- 3.3%, which was significantly increased by 96.7% +/- 15% when compared with CTX recovery from ether extracts (44.8% +/- 5.2%) without performing SPE purification. Over 70% of non-target lipids were removed in which no CTX toxicity was found. Moreover, the target fractions of both CTX-spiked and naturally CTX-contaminated samples gave more prominent toxic responses of hypothermia and/or induced more rapid death of the mice. The use of acetone-methanol (7:3, v/v) condition in the elution could significantly improve overall recovery of CTXs, while minimizing the possible interferences of lipid matrix from co-extractants on mice.

Characterization of polysaccharides extracted from spent coffee grounds by alkali pretreatment.

PubMed

Ballesteros, Lina F; Cerqueira, Miguel A; Teixeira, José A; Mussatto, Solange I

2015-01-01

Spent coffee grounds (SCG), obtained during the processing of coffee powder with hot water to make soluble coffee, are the main coffee industry residues and retain approximately seventy percent of the polysaccharides present in the roasted coffee beans. The purpose of this study was to extract polysaccharides from SCG by using an alkali pretreatment with sodium hydroxide at 25°C, and determine the chemical composition, as well as the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the extracted polysaccharides. Galactose (60.27%mol) was the dominant sugar in the recovered polysaccharides, followed by arabinose (19.93%mol), glucose (15.37%mol) and mannose (4.43%mol). SCG polysaccharides were thermostable, and presented a typical carbohydrate pattern. Additionally, they showed good antioxidant activity through different methods and presented high antimicrobial percent inhibition against Phoma violacea and Cladosporium cladosporioides (41.27% and 54.60%, respectively). These findings allow identifying possible applications for these polysaccharides in the food industry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibitory potential of standardized extract of Trigonella foenum graecum L and its constituents.

PubMed

Satheeshkumar, N; Mukherjee, Pulok K; Bhadra, S; Saha, B P

2010-03-01

Ethno pharmacological approach has provided several leads to identify potential new drugs from plant sources, including those for memory disorders. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) give a symptomatic relief to some of the clinical manifestations of the disease. The main objective of this study is to standardize the extract of Trigonella foenum graecum L with trigonelline by HPTLC method and determine the in vitro AChE inhibitory activity of Trigonella foenum graecum L and its constituents using galanthamine as a reference. Different concentrations of hydro alcoholic extract of Trigonella foenum graecum and trigonelline were subjected to HPTLC analysis using the mobile phase n propanol, methanol and water (4:1:2, v/v). The R(f) of trigonelline was found to be 0.43, and the correlation coefficient of 0.99 was indicative of good linear dependence of peak area on concentration. The concentration of trigonelline was found to be 13mgg(-1)w/w in the hydro alcoholic extract of Trigonella foenum graecum. The AChE inhibitory activity of crude fenugreek seed extracts, fractions and trigonelline was evaluated using Ellman's method in 96-well micro plate's assay and TLC bioassay detection. The ethyl acetate fraction of the alcohol extract (IC50 53.00 +/- 17.33microg/ml), and total alkaloid fraction (IC50 9.23+/-6.08microg/ml) showed potential AChE inhibition. Trigonelline showed IC50 233+/-0.12microM. Galanthamine was used as standard and it showed inhibition of acetyl cholinesterase with an IC50 value of 1.27+/-0.21microM. Copyright 2009 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Jacket-free stir bar sorptive extraction with bio-inspired polydopamine-functionalized immobilization of cross-linked polymer on stainless steel wire.

PubMed

Zhang, Zixin; Zhang, Wenpeng; Bao, Tao; Chen, Zilin

2015-08-14

Stainless steel wire (SSW) is a good substrate for stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE). However, it is still a challenge to immobilize commonly used cross-linked polymers onto SSW. In this work, we present a new approach for immobilization of the cross-linked organic polymer onto SSW for jacket-free SBSE. A dopamine derivative was firstly synthesized; by introducing a mussel-inspired polydopamine process, a stable coating layer was finally generated on the surface of SSW. Secondly, the cross-linked polymer was synthesized on the polydopamine-modified SSW by using acetonitrile as the porogen, acrylamide (AA) as the functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the cross-linker and 2,2'-azobis (2-methylpropionitrile) as the initiator. A diluted pre-polymerization solution was carefully prepared to generate a thin layer of the polymer. The prepared poly(EGDMA-AA)-modified stir bar showed high stability and good tolerance toward stirring, ultrasonication, organic solvents, and strong acidic and basic conditions. Morphology and structure characterization of coatings were performed by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectra, respectively. The prepared poly(EGDMA-AA)-modified stir bar showed great extraction efficiency toward protoberberines, with enrichment factors of 19-42. An SBSE-HPLC method was also developed for quantitative analysis of protoberberines. The method showed low limits of detection (0.06-0.15 ng mL(-1)), wide linear range (0.5-400 ng mL(-1)), good linearity (R≥0.9980) and good reproducibility (RSD≤3.60% for intra-day, RSD≤4.73% for inter-day). The developed method has been successfully applied to determine protoberberines in herb and rat plasma samples, with recoveries of 88.53-114.61%. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[High-dose Crataegus extract WS 1442 in the treatment of NYHA stage II heart failure].

PubMed

Tauchert, M; Gildor, A; Lipinski, J

1999-10-01

The efficacy and tolerance of the standardized hawthorn (crataegus) extract WS 1442 were tested in a multicenter utilization observational study. We monitored 1,011 patients with cardiac insufficiency stage NYHA II, treated with this extract (Crataegutt novo 450, 1 tablet b.i.d.) over a period of 24 weeks. During and at the end of the observation period a significant improvement in clinical symptoms (reduced performance in the exercise tolerance test, fatigue, palpitation and exercise dyspnea) was observed. Ankle edema and nocturia disappeared by 83%, and by half of the patients respectively manifesting these symptoms before treatment. The improvement and economization of cardiac performance were additionally shown by a reduction in blood pressure, an increased maximal exercise tolerance and a reduction in the difference in the pressure/heart rate product (PHRP). The positive effects of WS 1442 were further demonstrated by an improved ejection fraction and an increased percentile shortening fraction measured using M-mode echocardiography. The stabilizing effect of the hawthorn extract on the heart rate was shown by a slower rest pulse, as well as by an increase in the number of day and night normorhythmic patients, as documented by long-term ECG. The reduction in the number of patients showing ST depressions, arrhythmias and ventricular extrasystoles at the maximum exercise level is regarded as an indication for an improved myocardial perfusion. Fourteen side effects were noted. In two cases (abdominal discomfort and facial pains accompanied by tachycardia) a possible relationship with the hawthorn therapy, was postulated which however was considered unlikely by the treating physicians. Almost 2/3 of the patients felt better or much better following the 24 weeks of treatment. More than 3/4 of the participating physicians noted a good or a very good efficacy, and 98.7% noted a good or a very good tolerance. High-dose hawthorn therapy is an efficient, well

Membrane-assisted extraction of monoterpenes: from in silico solvent screening towards biotechnological process application

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

This work focuses on the process development of membrane-assisted solvent extraction of hydrophobic compounds such as monoterpenes. Beginning with the choice of suitable solvents, quantum chemical calculations with the simulation tool COSMO-RS were carried out to predict the partition coefficient (logP) of (S)-(+)-carvone and terpinen-4-ol in various solvent–water systems and validated afterwards with experimental data. COSMO-RS results show good prediction accuracy for non-polar solvents such as n-hexane, ethyl acetate and n-heptane even in the presence of salts and glycerol in an aqueous medium. Based on the high logP value, n-heptane was chosen for the extraction of (S)-(+)-carvone in a lab-scale hollow-fibre membrane contactor. Two operation modes are investigated where experimental and theoretical mass transfer values, based on their related partition coefficients, were compared. In addition, the process is evaluated in terms of extraction efficiency and overall product recovery, and its biotechnological application potential is discussed. Our work demonstrates that the combination of in silico prediction by COSMO-RS with membrane-assisted extraction is a promising approach for the recovery of hydrophobic compounds from aqueous solutions. PMID:29765654

Mutagenicity of diesel exhaust particle extracts: influence of fuel composition in two diesel engines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clark, C.R.; Henderson, T.R.; Royer, R.E.

The influence of diesel fuel composition on mutagenicity of exhaust particle associated organic compounds has been investigated using nine fuels varying in aromatic content and distillation properties. The tests were conducted with Oldsmobile Delta-88 and Peugot 504 diesel cars operated according to the EPA Federal Test Procedure. The particulate exhaust from each test was collected on a filter, extracted in dichloromethane and the resulting extract evaluated for mutagenicity in Salmonella strain TA-100. Mutagenicity of extracts of particles collected from the Oldsmobile were highest in the higher aromatic content fuels (> 30%) but similar for intermediate (20%) and low (13%) aromaticmore » content fuels. No influence of aromaticity on mutagenicity was observed in samples collected from the Peugeot under the same conditions. Thus, fuel aromatic content may enhance the production of mutagenic combustion products at higher concentrations, but may be dependent upon engine type. A good correlation was observed between mutagenicity of the particle extracts and the initial boiling point of the fuel (r = 0.89). Gas chromatography/mass spectrometric analysis of the aromatic fraction of the fuels showed that the fuel producing the most mutagenic combustion products was highest in phenanthrene type compounds.« less

Electromembrane extraction using two separate cells: A new design for simultaneous extraction of acidic and basic compounds.

PubMed

Nojavan, Saeed; Asadi, Sakine

2016-02-01

Simultaneous extraction of acidic and basic analytes from a sample is seen to be a challenging task. In this work, a novel and efficient electromembrane extraction (EME) method based on two separate cells was applied to simultaneously extract and preconcentrate two acidic drugs (naproxen and ibuprofen) along with a basic drug (ketamine). Once both cells were filled with the sample solution, basic drug was extracted from one cell with the other cell used to extract acidic drugs. The employed supported liquid membranes for the extraction of acidic and basic drugs were 2-ethyl hexanol and 1-octanol, respectively. Under an applied potential of 250 V in the course of the extraction process, acidic, and basic drugs were extracted from a 3.0 mL aqueous sample solution into 25 μL acceptor solutions. The pH values of the donor and acceptor solutions in the cathodic cell were 5.0 and 1.5, respectively, the corresponding values in the anodic cell were, however, 8.0 and 12.5, respectively. The rates of recovery obtained within 20 min of extraction time at a stirring rate of 750 rpm ranged from 45 to 54%. With correlation coefficients ranging from 0.990 to 0.996, the proposed EME technique provided good linearity over a concentration range of 20-1000 ng/mL. The LOD for all drugs was found to be 6.7 ng/mL, while reproducibility ranged from 7 to 12% (n = 5). Finally, applying the proposed method to determine and quantify the drugs in urine and wastewater samples, satisfactory results were achieved. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Cyclodextrin-enhanced extraction and energy transfer of carcinogens in complex oil environments.

PubMed

Serio, Nicole; Chanthalyma, Chitapom; Prignano, Lindsey; Levine, Mindy

2013-11-27

Reported herein is the use of γ-cyclodextrin for two tandem functions: (a) the extraction of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from oil samples into aqueous solution and (b) the promotion of highly efficient energy transfer from the newly extracted PAHs to a high-quantum-yield fluorophore. The extraction proceeded in moderate to good efficiencies, and the resulting cyclodextrin-promoted energy transfer led to a new, brightly fluorescent signal in aqueous solution. The resulting dual-function system (extraction followed by energy transfer) has significant relevance in the environmental detection and cleanup of oil-spill-related carcinogens.

Antidiarrhoeal and antimicrobial activity of Calpurnia aurea leaf extract.

PubMed

Umer, Shemsu; Tekewe, Alemu; Kebede, Nigatu

2013-01-28

In Ethiopia, Calpurnia aurea is used for the treatment of syphilis, malaria, rabies, diabetes, hypertension, diarrhoea, leishmaniasis, trachoma, elephantiasis, fungal diseases and different swellings. However, despite its traditional usage as an antidiarrhoeal and antimicrobial agent, there is limited or no information regarding its effectiveness and mode of action in diarrhoea which may be caused by Shigella flexneri, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi. Hence, we evaluated the 80% methanol (MeOH) extract of dried and powdered leaves of C. aurea for its antidiarrhoeal and antimicrobial activities. Swiss albino mice of either sex were divided into five groups (five/group): Group I served as control and received vehicle (1% Tween 80) at a dose of 10 ml/kg orally; Group II served as standard and received loperamide at the dose of 3 mg/kg orally; Groups III, IV and V served as test groups and received the 80% MeOH leaf extract of C. aurea at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg orally, respectively. Diarrhoea was induced by oral administration of 0.5 ml castor oil to each mouse, 1 h after the above treatments. During an observation period of 4 h, time of onset of diarrhea, total number of faecal output (frequency of defecation) and weight of faeces excreted by the animals were recorded. Data were analyzed using one way analysis of variance followed by Tukey post test. Antimicrobial activity test was conducted using agar well diffusion assay. Clinical isolates tested were Salmonella typhi, Salmonella paratyphi, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. In castor oil induced diarrhea model, the 80% methanol leaf extract of C. aurea at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg and the standard drug loperamide (3 mg/kg) significantly reduced the time of onset of diarrhea, the frequency of defecation (total number of faecal output) and weight of faeces. C. aurea leaf extract also showed good antimicrobial

Antidiarrhoeal and antimicrobial activity of Calpurnia aurea leaf extract

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

also showed good antimicrobial activity against all tested organisms. Conclusions C. aurea possesses good antidiarrhoeal and antimicrobial activity which support the traditional use of the plant in the treatment of diarrhea in Ethiopia. PMID:23351272

An Optimal Control Method for Maximizing the Efficiency of Direct Drive Ocean Wave Energy Extraction System

PubMed Central

Chen, Zhongxian; Yu, Haitao; Wen, Cheng

2014-01-01

The goal of direct drive ocean wave energy extraction system is to convert ocean wave energy into electricity. The problem explored in this paper is the design and optimal control for the direct drive ocean wave energy extraction system. An optimal control method based on internal model proportion integration differentiation (IM-PID) is proposed in this paper though most of ocean wave energy extraction systems are optimized by the structure, weight, and material. With this control method, the heavy speed of outer heavy buoy of the energy extraction system is in resonance with incident wave, and the system efficiency is largely improved. Validity of the proposed optimal control method is verified in both regular and irregular ocean waves, and it is shown that IM-PID control method is optimal in that it maximizes the energy conversion efficiency. In addition, the anti-interference ability of IM-PID control method has been assessed, and the results show that the IM-PID control method has good robustness, high precision, and strong anti-interference ability. PMID:25152913

An optimal control method for maximizing the efficiency of direct drive ocean wave energy extraction system.

PubMed

Chen, Zhongxian; Yu, Haitao; Wen, Cheng

2014-01-01

The goal of direct drive ocean wave energy extraction system is to convert ocean wave energy into electricity. The problem explored in this paper is the design and optimal control for the direct drive ocean wave energy extraction system. An optimal control method based on internal model proportion integration differentiation (IM-PID) is proposed in this paper though most of ocean wave energy extraction systems are optimized by the structure, weight, and material. With this control method, the heavy speed of outer heavy buoy of the energy extraction system is in resonance with incident wave, and the system efficiency is largely improved. Validity of the proposed optimal control method is verified in both regular and irregular ocean waves, and it is shown that IM-PID control method is optimal in that it maximizes the energy conversion efficiency. In addition, the anti-interference ability of IM-PID control method has been assessed, and the results show that the IM-PID control method has good robustness, high precision, and strong anti-interference ability.

Comparative analysis of essential oil composition of Iranian and Indian Nigella sativa L. extracted using supercritical fluid extraction and solvent extraction

PubMed Central

Ghahramanloo, Kourosh Hasanzadeh; Kamalidehghan, Behnam; Akbari Javar, Hamid; Teguh Widodo, Riyanto; Majidzadeh, Keivan; Noordin, Mohamed Ibrahim

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to compare the oil extraction yield and essential oil composition of Indian and Iranian Nigella sativa L. extracted by using Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) and solvent extraction methods. In this study, a gas chromatography equipped with a mass spectrophotometer detector was employed for qualitative analysis of the essential oil composition of Indian and Iranian N. sativa L. The results indicated that the main fatty acid composition identified in the essential oils extracted by using SFE and solvent extraction were linoleic acid (22.4%–61.85%) and oleic acid (1.64%–18.97%). Thymoquinone (0.72%–21.03%) was found to be the major volatile compound in the extracted N. sativa oil. It was observed that the oil extraction efficiency obtained from SFE was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that achieved by the solvent extraction technique. The present study showed that SFE can be used as a more efficient technique for extraction of N. Sativa L. essential oil, which is composed of higher linoleic acid and thymoquinone contents compared to the essential oil obtained by the solvent extraction technique. PMID:28814830

Comparative analysis of essential oil composition of Iranian and Indian Nigella sativa L. extracted using supercritical fluid extraction and solvent extraction.

PubMed

Ghahramanloo, Kourosh Hasanzadeh; Kamalidehghan, Behnam; Akbari Javar, Hamid; Teguh Widodo, Riyanto; Majidzadeh, Keivan; Noordin, Mohamed Ibrahim

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to compare the oil extraction yield and essential oil composition of Indian and Iranian Nigella sativa L. extracted by using Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) and solvent extraction methods. In this study, a gas chromatography equipped with a mass spectrophotometer detector was employed for qualitative analysis of the essential oil composition of Indian and Iranian N. sativa L. The results indicated that the main fatty acid composition identified in the essential oils extracted by using SFE and solvent extraction were linoleic acid (22.4%-61.85%) and oleic acid (1.64%-18.97%). Thymoquinone (0.72%-21.03%) was found to be the major volatile compound in the extracted N. sativa oil. It was observed that the oil extraction efficiency obtained from SFE was significantly ( P <0.05) higher than that achieved by the solvent extraction technique. The present study showed that SFE can be used as a more efficient technique for extraction of N. Sativa L. essential oil, which is composed of higher linoleic acid and thymoquinone contents compared to the essential oil obtained by the solvent extraction technique.

Do good actions inspire good actions in others?

PubMed

Capraro, Valerio; Marcelletti, Alessandra

2014-12-12

Actions such as sharing food and cooperating to reach a common goal have played a fundamental role in the evolution of human societies. Despite the importance of such good actions, little is known about if and how they can spread from person to person to person. For instance, does being recipient of an altruistic act increase your probability of being cooperative with a third party? We have conducted an experiment on Amazon Mechanical Turk to test this mechanism using economic games. We have measured willingness to be cooperative through a standard Prisoner's dilemma and willingness to act altruistically using a binary Dictator game. In the baseline treatments, the endowments needed to play were given by the experimenters, as usual; in the control treatments, they came from a good action made by someone else. Across four different comparisons and a total of 572 subjects, we have never found a significant increase of cooperation or altruism when the endowment came from a good action. We conclude that good actions do not necessarily inspire good actions in others. While this is consistent with the theoretical prediction, it challenges the majority of other experimental studies.

Antimicrobial activity of pomegranate peel extracts as affected by cultivar.

PubMed

Rosas-Burgos, Ema C; Burgos-Hernández, Armando; Noguera-Artiaga, Luis; Kačániová, Miroslava; Hernández-García, Francisca; Cárdenas-López, José L; Carbonell-Barrachina, Ángel A

2017-02-01

Some studies have reported that different parts of the pomegranate fruit, especially the peel, may act as potential antimicrobial agents and thus might be proposed as a safe natural alternative to synthetic antimicrobial agents. The high tannin content, especially punicalagin, found in pomegranate extracts, has been reported as the main compound responsible for such antimicrobial activity. Because the pomegranate peel chemical composition may vary with the type of cultivar (sweet, sour-sweet and sour), pomegranates may also differ with respect to their antimicrobial capacity. The extract from PTO8 pomegranate cultivar peel had the highest antimicrobial activity, as well as the highest punicalagins (α and β) and ellagic acid concentrations. In the results obtained from both antibacterial and antifungal activity studies, the sour-sweet pomegranate cultivar PTO8 showed the best antimicrobial activity, and the highest ellagic acid concentrations. The results of the present study suggest that ellagic acid content has a significant influence on the antimicrobial activity of the pomegranate extracts investigated. The pomegranate peel of the PTO8 cultivar is a good source of antifungal and antibacterial compounds, and may represent an alternative to antimicrobial agents of synthetic origin. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Techniques for information extraction from compressed GPS traces : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-12-31

Developing techniques for extracting information requires a good understanding of methods used to compress the traces. Many techniques for compressing trace data : consisting of position (i.e., latitude/longitude) and time values have been developed....

Fungitoxicity of lyophilized and spray-dried garlic extracts.

PubMed

Tedeschi, Paola; Maietti, Annalisa; Boggian, Marisa; Vecchiati, Giorgio; Brandolini, Vincenzo

2007-01-01

Among the compounds discussed for anti-microbial and anti-fungal use allicin (allylthiosulfinate, diallyl disulfide-S-monoxide), an active ingredient of garlic, has attracted considerable attention. The objective of this study is to determine the antifungal activity of a local garlic ecotype (Voghiera) extracts against different pathogens. Primary screening was carried out by the agar plates technique using ethanol garlic extract at four final concentrations against the following organisms: Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus spp., Colletotrichum acutatum, Didymella bryoniae, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium avenaceum, Fusarium gramineareum, Gliocladium roseum 47, Pythium splendens, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotium rolfsii, Stemphylium vesicarium, Trichoderma longibranchiatum, and Botrytis cinerea. Secondary screening was carried out using a lyophilized and a spray-dried preparation at different concentrations against the organisms selected for the high inhibition garlic effect in the primary screening and compared with the commercial fungicides mancozeb and iprodione. The best results were observed for the spray-dried garlic compound that showed a good fungicidal activity at the concentration of 1.5 g/10 mL while lyophilized garlic at the same concentration exhibited less inhibition activity against the four fungi analyzed in the second screening.

The AKARI FU-HYU galaxy evolution program: first results from the GOODS-N field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearson, C. P.; Serjeant, S.; Negrello, M.; Takagi, T.; Jeong, W.-S.; Matsuhara, H.; Wada, T.; Oyabu, S.; Lee, H. M.; Im, M. S.

2010-05-01

The AKARI FU-HYU mission program carried out mid-infrared imaging of several well studied Spitzer fields preferentially selecting fields already rich in multi-wavelength data from radio to X-ray wavelengths filling in the wavelength desert between the Spitzer IRAC and MIPS bands. We present the initial results for the FU-HYU survey in the GOODS-N field. We utilize the supreme multiwavelength coverage in the GOODS-N field to produce a multiwavelength catalogue from infrared to ultraviolet wavelengths, containing more than 4393 sources, including photometric redshifts. Using the FU-HYU catalogue we present colour-colour diagrams that map the passage of PAH features through our observation bands. We find that the longer mid-infrared bands from AKARI (IRC-L18W 18 micron band) and Spitzer (MIPS24 24 micron band) provide an accurate measure of the total MIR emission of the sources and therefore their probable total mid-infrared luminosity. We also find that colours incorporating the AKARI IRC-S11 11 micron band produce a bimodal distribution where an excess at 11 microns preferentially selects moderate redshift star-forming galaxies. These powerful colour-colour diagnostics are further used as tools to extract anomalous colour populations, in particular a population of Silicate Break galaxies from the GOODS-N field showing that dusty starbursts can be selected of specific redshift ranges (z = 1.2-1.6) by mid-infrared drop-out techniques. The FU-HYU catalogue will be made publically available to the astronomical community.

Evaluating the Good Ontology Design Guideline (GoodOD) with the Ontology Quality Requirements and Evaluation Method and Metrics (OQuaRE)

PubMed Central

Duque-Ramos, Astrid; Boeker, Martin; Jansen, Ludger; Schulz, Stefan; Iniesta, Miguela; Fernández-Breis, Jesualdo Tomás

2014-01-01

Objective To (1) evaluate the GoodOD guideline for ontology development by applying the OQuaRE evaluation method and metrics to the ontology artefacts that were produced by students in a randomized controlled trial, and (2) informally compare the OQuaRE evaluation method with gold standard and competency questions based evaluation methods, respectively. Background In the last decades many methods for ontology construction and ontology evaluation have been proposed. However, none of them has become a standard and there is no empirical evidence of comparative evaluation of such methods. This paper brings together GoodOD and OQuaRE. GoodOD is a guideline for developing robust ontologies. It was previously evaluated in a randomized controlled trial employing metrics based on gold standard ontologies and competency questions as outcome parameters. OQuaRE is a method for ontology quality evaluation which adapts the SQuaRE standard for software product quality to ontologies and has been successfully used for evaluating the quality of ontologies. Methods In this paper, we evaluate the effect of training in ontology construction based on the GoodOD guideline within the OQuaRE quality evaluation framework and compare the results with those obtained for the previous studies based on the same data. Results Our results show a significant effect of the GoodOD training over developed ontologies by topics: (a) a highly significant effect was detected in three topics from the analysis of the ontologies of untrained and trained students; (b) both positive and negative training effects with respect to the gold standard were found for five topics. Conclusion The GoodOD guideline had a significant effect over the quality of the ontologies developed. Our results show that GoodOD ontologies can be effectively evaluated using OQuaRE and that OQuaRE is able to provide additional useful information about the quality of the GoodOD ontologies. PMID:25148262

Evaluating the Good Ontology Design Guideline (GoodOD) with the ontology quality requirements and evaluation method and metrics (OQuaRE).

PubMed

Duque-Ramos, Astrid; Boeker, Martin; Jansen, Ludger; Schulz, Stefan; Iniesta, Miguela; Fernández-Breis, Jesualdo Tomás

2014-01-01

To (1) evaluate the GoodOD guideline for ontology development by applying the OQuaRE evaluation method and metrics to the ontology artefacts that were produced by students in a randomized controlled trial, and (2) informally compare the OQuaRE evaluation method with gold standard and competency questions based evaluation methods, respectively. In the last decades many methods for ontology construction and ontology evaluation have been proposed. However, none of them has become a standard and there is no empirical evidence of comparative evaluation of such methods. This paper brings together GoodOD and OQuaRE. GoodOD is a guideline for developing robust ontologies. It was previously evaluated in a randomized controlled trial employing metrics based on gold standard ontologies and competency questions as outcome parameters. OQuaRE is a method for ontology quality evaluation which adapts the SQuaRE standard for software product quality to ontologies and has been successfully used for evaluating the quality of ontologies. In this paper, we evaluate the effect of training in ontology construction based on the GoodOD guideline within the OQuaRE quality evaluation framework and compare the results with those obtained for the previous studies based on the same data. Our results show a significant effect of the GoodOD training over developed ontologies by topics: (a) a highly significant effect was detected in three topics from the analysis of the ontologies of untrained and trained students; (b) both positive and negative training effects with respect to the gold standard were found for five topics. The GoodOD guideline had a significant effect over the quality of the ontologies developed. Our results show that GoodOD ontologies can be effectively evaluated using OQuaRE and that OQuaRE is able to provide additional useful information about the quality of the GoodOD ontologies.

Information based universal feature extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amiri, Mohammad; Brause, Rüdiger

2015-02-01

In many real world image based pattern recognition tasks, the extraction and usage of task-relevant features are the most crucial part of the diagnosis. In the standard approach, they mostly remain task-specific, although humans who perform such a task always use the same image features, trained in early childhood. It seems that universal feature sets exist, but they are not yet systematically found. In our contribution, we tried to find those universal image feature sets that are valuable for most image related tasks. In our approach, we trained a neural network by natural and non-natural images of objects and background, using a Shannon information-based algorithm and learning constraints. The goal was to extract those features that give the most valuable information for classification of visual objects hand-written digits. This will give a good start and performance increase for all other image learning tasks, implementing a transfer learning approach. As result, in our case we found that we could indeed extract features which are valid in all three kinds of tasks.

Optimisation of extraction and sludge dewatering efficiencies of bio-flocculants extracted from Abelmoschus esculentus (okra).

PubMed

Lee, Chai Siah; Chong, Mei Fong; Robinson, John; Binner, Eleanor

2015-07-01

The production of natural biopolymers as flocculants for water treatment is highly desirable due to their inherent low toxicity and low environmental footprint. In this study, bio-flocculants were extracted from Hibiscus/Abelmoschus esculentus (okra) by using a water extraction method, and the extract yield and its performance in sludge dewatering were evaluated. Single factor experimental design was employed to obtain the optimum conditions for extraction temperature (25-90 °C), time (0.25-5 h), solvent loading (0.5-5 w/w) and agitation speed (0-225 rpm). Results showed that extraction yield was affected non-linearly by all experimental variables, whilst the sludge dewatering ability was only influenced by the temperature of the extraction process. The optimum extraction conditions were obtained at 70 °C, 2 h, solvent loading of 2.5 w/w and agitation at 200 rpm. Under the optimal conditions, the extract yield was 2.38%, which is comparable to the extraction of other polysaccharides (0.69-3.66%). The bio-flocculants displayed >98% removal of suspended solids and 68% water recovery during sludge dewatering, and were shown to be comparable with commercial polyacrylamide flocculants. This work shows that bio-flocculants could offer a feasible alternative to synthetic flocculants for water treatment and sludge dewatering applications, and can be extracted using only water as a solvent, minimising the environmental footprint of the extraction process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of methyl silane coated iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles for solid-phase extraction and determination of fat-soluble vitamins by high performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Momenbeik, Fariborz; Yazdani, Elham

2015-01-01

Methyl silane coated Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were used for simultaneous extraction of the fat-soluble vitamins (FSVs). The amounts of extracted vitamins were determined by HPLC. The synthesized Fe3O4 nanoparticles were coated with silica and then modified with trimethoxymethylsilane (TMMS). The prepared particles were characterized by different methods. The best amounts of silica and TMMS in sorbent synthesis were 1.2 and 0.5 mL, respectively. The optimum pH values for the sample solution and washing buffer were 5 and 3, respectively. Application of 100 mg sorbent, 700 μL tetrahydrofuran, 5-fold dilution of the sample solution, and 1 min for sorption and desorption times were among the best conditions. At the optimum conditions, the calibration plots for each vitamin were obtained with good linearity (R(2) >0.9992) and suitable linear ranges. This method has a low LOD (<76.1 μg/mL), acceptable repeatability (RSD <5.63%) and reproducibility (RSD <4.71%), and good accuracy (recovery >90.3%). Preconcentration of low concentrations of vitamin D3 was performed, and results showed 3.7 times greater sensitivity after preconcentration. Finally, the amounts of the FSVs in pharmaceutical formulations were determined using the proposed method, and results showed good agreement with those reported by manufacturers.

Isolation and characterization of antimicrobial constituents of Searsia chirindensis L. (Anacardiaceae) leaf extracts.

PubMed

Madikizela, Balungile; Aderogba, Mutalib A; Van Staden, Johannes

2013-11-25

Searsia chirindensis is used in South African traditional medicine for management of bacterial infections such as diarrhoea. Aim of the study was to examine the phytochemical composition from the leaves of Searsia chirindensis that is responsible for the ethnomedicinal use of this plant. The crude extract (80% methanol) was extracted sequentially with dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and n-butanol. The extracts and isolated compounds were tested for their antibacterial activity against Gram-negative (Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacterial strains using the microdilution method. Bioguided fractionation of EtOAc fraction afforded five phenolic compounds. Structural elucidation was carried out using NMR (1D and 2D) spectroscopic analyses. Of the three fractions obtained from the crude extract, EtOAc was the most active and its fractionation afforded methyl gallate (1), and four flavonol glycosides: myricetin-3-O-arabinopyranoside (2), myricetrin-3-O-rhamnoside (3), kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside (4) and quercetin-3-O-arabinofuranoside (5). These compounds are reported from Searsia chirindensis for the first time. All the compounds showed good antibacterial activity against all bacterial strains tested. Their minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from 30 to 250 µg/mL. Antibacterial activity demonstrated by the extracts and isolated compounds provides credence to the ethnomedicinal use of Searsia chirindensis against diarrhoea. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation of Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents, and Evaluation of Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities from Baeckea frutescens Extracts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nisa, K.; Nurhayati, S.; Apriyana, W.; Indrianingsih, A. W.

2017-12-01

Baeckea frutescens L. is a medicinal plant endemic to the tropical area and it has been used by locals for topical and oral ailments. This study investigated total phenolic and flavonoid contents and also evaluated in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of of Baeckea frutescens crude extracts. These extracts were assessed for their antibacterial activities against strains of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella thypii, and Pseudomonas aureginosa by the broth micro-dilution methods using a modified tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay). Baeckea frutescens crude extracts were also tested against the stable DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate) free-radical. The results indicated that Baeckea frutescens water and ethanol extracts possesed remarkable antibacterial activity with the minimum inhibitory concentration less than 100 μg/ml against Escherichia coli and Salmonella thypi. On the evaluation of the antioxidant activity via DPPH assay, Baeckea frutescens ethanol extracts exhibited a good antioxidant activity with IC50 less than 50 μg/ml and Baeckea frutescens water extracts showed a moderate antioxidant activity with IC50 less than 100 μg/ml.

Etched poly(ether ether ketone) jacket stir bar with detachable dumbbell-shaped structure for stir bar sorptive extraction.

PubMed

Zhou, Wei; Wang, Chenlu; Wang, Xuemei; Chen, Zilin

2018-06-08

Development of stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) device with high stability and extraction efficiency is critical and challenging by date. In this work, etched poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) tube with high mechanical strength and large specific surface area was used as jacket for SBSE device. By etching with concentrated sulfuric acid, the smooth outer surface of PEEK become porous with plenty of micro holes, which was beneficial for coating of sorbents and significantly improved the extraction performance. After functionalized by bio-polydopamine method, strong hydrophobic p-naphtholbenzein molecular was immobilized onto the chemical resistant PEEK surface (PNB@E-PEEK) as stationary phase. We also firstly developed a simple detachable dumbbell-shaped structure for improving the workability of PEEK jacket stir bar. The dumbbell-shaped construction can eliminate the friction between stir bar and container, and the design of detachable structure make elution can be accomplished easier with small amount of organic solvent. It was interesting that the developed detachable dumbbell-shaped PNB@E-PEEK stir bar showed exceptional stability and extraction efficiency for SBSE enrichment of multiple analytes including several Sudan dyes, triazines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkaloids and flavonoid. By coupling with high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV), PNB@E-PEEK stir bar based SBSE-HPLC-UV method was applied for the analysis of common Sudan dye pollutants. The method showed low limits of detection (0.02-0.03 ng/mL), good linearity (R 2  ≥ 0.9979) and good reproducibility (relative standard deviation ≤ 7.96%). It has been successfully applied to determine three dye pollutants in tap and lake water. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Good outcome after delayed surgery for orbitocranial non-missile penetrating brain injury.

PubMed

Caporlingua, Alessandro; Caporlingua, Federico; Lenzi, Jacopo

2016-01-01

Nonmissile orbitocranial penetrating brain injuries are uncommonly dealt with in a civilian context. Surgical management is controversial, due to the lack of widely accepted guidelines. A 52-year-old man was hit in his left eye by a metallic foreign body (FB). Head computed tomography (CT) scan showed a left subcortical parietal FB with a considerable hemorrhagic trail originating from the left orbital roof. Surgical treatment was staged; an exenteratio oculi and a left parietal craniotomy to extract the FB under intraoperative CT guidance were performed at post trauma day third and sixth, respectively. A postoperative infectious complication was treated conservatively. The patient retained a right hemiparesis (3/5) and was transferred to rehabilitation in good clinical conditions at day 49(th). He had suspended antiepilectic therapy at that time. A case-by-case tailored approach is mandatory to achieve the best outcome in such a heterogeneous nosological entity. Case reporting is crucial to further understand its mechanism and dynamics.

Automatic Fontanel Extraction from Newborns' CT Images Using Variational Level Set

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazemi, Kamran; Ghadimi, Sona; Lyaghat, Alireza; Tarighati, Alla; Golshaeyan, Narjes; Abrishami-Moghaddam, Hamid; Grebe, Reinhard; Gondary-Jouet, Catherine; Wallois, Fabrice

A realistic head model is needed for source localization methods used for the study of epilepsy in neonates applying Electroencephalographic (EEG) measurements from the scalp. The earliest models consider the head as a series of concentric spheres, each layer corresponding to a different tissue whose conductivity is assumed to be homogeneous. The results of the source reconstruction depend highly on the electric conductivities of the tissues forming the head.The most used model is constituted of three layers (scalp, skull, and intracranial). Most of the major bones of the neonates’ skull are ossified at birth but can slightly move relative to each other. This is due to the sutures, fibrous membranes that at this stage of development connect the already ossified flat bones of the neurocranium. These weak parts of the neurocranium are called fontanels. Thus it is important to enter the exact geometry of fontaneles and flat bone in a source reconstruction because they show pronounced in conductivity. Computer Tomography (CT) imaging provides an excellent tool for non-invasive investigation of the skull which expresses itself in high contrast to all other tissues while the fontanels only can be identified as absence of bone, gaps in the skull formed by flat bone. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to extract the fontanels from CT images applying a variational level set method. We applied the proposed method to CT-images of five different subjects. The automatically extracted fontanels show good agreement with the manually extracted ones.

Evaluating operational vacuum for landfill biogas extraction.

PubMed

Fabbricino, Massimiliano

2007-01-01

This manuscript proposes a practical methodology for estimating the operational vacuum for landfill biogas extraction from municipal landfills. The procedure is based on two sub-models which simulate landfill gas production from organic waste decomposition and distribution of gas pressure and gas movement induced by suction at a blower station. The two models are coupled in a single mass balance equation, obtaining a relationship between the operational vacuum and the amount of landfill gas that can be extracted from an assigned system of vertical wells. To better illustrate the procedure, it is applied to a case study, where a good agreement between simulated and measured data, within +/- 30%, is obtained.

Synergy of antibacterial and antioxidant activities from crude extracts and peptides of selected plant mixture

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background A plant mixture containing indigenous Australian plants was examined for synergistic antimicrobial activity using selected test microorganisms. This study aims to investigate antibacterial activities, antioxidant potential and the content of phenolic compounds in aqueous, ethanolic and peptide extracts of plant mixture. Methods Well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays were used to test antibacterial activity against four pathogenic bacteria namely Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) assays were used to evaluate antioxidant activity. HPLC and gel filtration were used for purification of the peptides. Scanning electron microscope was applied to investigate the mode of attachment of the peptides on target microbial membranes. Results Aqueous extraction of the mixture showed no inhibition zones against all the test bacteria. Mean diameter of inhibition zones for ethanol extraction of this mixture attained 8.33 mm, 7.33 mm, and 6.33 mm against S. aureus at corresponding concentrations of 500, 250 and 125 mg/ml while E .coli showed inhibition zones of 9.33 mm, 8.00 mm and 6.66 mm at the same concentrations. B. cereus exhibited inhibition zones of 11.33 mm, 10.33 mm and 10.00 mm at concentrations of 500, 250 and 125 mg/ml respectively. The peptide extract demonstrated antibacterial activity against S. aureus, E. coli and B. cereus. The MIC and MBC values for ethanol extracts were determined at 125 mg/ml concentration against S. aureus and E. coli and B. cereus value was 31.5 mg/ml. MIC and MBC values showed that the peptide extract was significantly effective at low concentration of the Australian plant mixture (APM). Phenolic compounds were detected in hot aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the plant mixture. Hot aqueous, ethanol and peptides extracts also exhibited

Physicochemical and functional properties of gelatin extracted from Yak skin.

PubMed

Xu, Mengqi; Wei, Lixin; Xiao, Yuancan; Bi, Hongtao; Yang, Hongxia; Du, Yuzhi

2017-02-01

Different molecular weight distribution (MWD) gelatin was extracted from Yak skin after enzymatic pretreatments and their physicochemical and functional properties (SDS-PAGE, UV-vis absorption spectra, DSC, FT-IR, Amino acid analysis, AFM, emulsibility and foamability) were analyzed. The gelatin was extracted by pepsin and got different MWD of Yak skin gelatin by controlling the enzymolysis time. The SDS-PAGE showed the MWD of the Yak skin gelatin. The UV-vis absorption turned out that the broad MWD of Yak skin gelatin had a higher maximum absorption peaks. The FT-IR and AFM indicated that the gelatin structures and microstructures changed with the change of the MWD. The broad MWD of the Yak skin gelatin had a higher denaturation temperature (T D ), and it was higher than most of the other mammals and marine biological gelatin. The broad MWD gelatin also had higher imino acids (proline and hydroxyproline) contents and lower foamability and emulsibility compared to the narrow MWD gelatin. These findings, obtained for the first time for Yak skin gelatin, showed that it has great potential for application as an alternative to commercial gelatin due to its good thermotolerance, particularly in the applications of the biological materials, stabilizer of thermo-tolerant and so on. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aquatic products by solid-phase extraction and GC-MS.

PubMed

Liu, Qiying; Guo, Yuanming; Sun, Xiumei; Hao, Qing; Cheng, Xin; Zhang, Lu

2018-02-22

We propose a method for the simultaneous determination of 15 kinds of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in marine samples (muscle) employing gas chromatography with mass spectrometry after saponification with ultrasound-assisted extraction and solid-phase extraction. The experimental conditions were optimized by the response surface method. In addition, the effects of different lyes and extractants on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons extraction were discussed, and saturated sodium carbonate was first used as the primary saponification reaction and extracted with 10 mL of ethyl acetate and secondly 1 mol/L of sodium hydroxide and 10 mL of n-hexane were used to achieve better results. The average recovery was 67-112%. Satisfactory data showed that the method has good reproducibility with a relative standard deviation of <13%. The detection limits of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were 0.02-0.13 ng/g. Compared with other methods, this method has the advantages of simple pretreatment, low solvent consumption, maximum polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons extraction, the fast separation speed, and the high extraction efficiency. It is concluded that this method meets the batch processing requirements of the sample and can also be used to determine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in other high-fat (fish, shrimp, crab, shellfish) biological samples. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

One pot synthesis of magnetic graphene/carbon nanotube composites as magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction adsorbent for rapid determination of oxytetracycline in sewage water.

PubMed

Sun, Yunyun; Tian, Jing; Wang, Lu; Yan, Hongyuan; Qiao, Fengxia; Qiao, Xiaoqiang

2015-11-27

A simple and time-saving one pot synthesis of magnetic graphene/carbon nanotube composites (M-G/CNTs) was developed that could avoid the tedious drying process of graphite oxide, and G/CNTs were modified by Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the reduction procedure. It contributed to a shorten duration of the synthesis process of M-G/CNTs. The obtained M-G/CNTs were characterized and the results indicated that CNTs and Fe3O4 nanoparticles were served as spacer distributing to the layers of graphene, which was beneficial for enlarging surface area and improving extraction efficiency. Moreover, M-G/CNTs showed good magnetic property and outstanding thermal stability. Then M-G/CNTs were applied as adsorbent of magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction for rapid extraction and determination of oxytetracycline in sewage water. Under the optimum conditions, good linearity was obtained in the range of 20-800ngmL(-1) and the recoveries were ranged from 95.5% to 112.5% with relative standard deviations less than 5.8%. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Process optimization and analysis of microwave assisted extraction of pectin from dragon fruit peel.

PubMed

Thirugnanasambandham, K; Sivakumar, V; Prakash Maran, J

2014-11-04

Microwave assisted extraction (MAE) technique was employed for the extraction of pectin from dragon fruit peel. The extracting parameters were optimized by using four-variable-three-level Box-Behnken design (BBD) coupled with response surface methodology (RSM). RSM analysis indicated good correspondence between experimental and predicted values. 3D response surface plots were used to study the interactive effects of process variables on extraction of pectin. The optimum extraction conditions for the maximum yield of pectin were power of 400 W, temperature of 45 °C, extracting time of 20 min and solid-liquid ratio of 24 g/mL. Under these conditions, 7.5% of pectin was extracted. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In Vitro Assay of Ethanolic Heat Reflux Extract of Nicotiana tabacum L. var Virginia Against Nosocomial Bacteria Pathogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pramono, Andri; Fauzantoro, Ahmad; Rizki Hidayati, Irma; Hygea, Arina; Puspita, Oktaviani Sandra; Muktamiroh, Hikmah; Simanjuntak, Kristina; Gozan, Misri

2018-03-01

Tobacco plays an important role in international trade as one of the export commodities. Indonesia is one of the good quality export contributors of tobacco leaves in the world. Nevertheless, tobacco is used only as a raw material for the cigarette industries, and the rise on anti-cigarette regulations prompted the exploration of alternative product from tobacco plants. The content of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids and steroids in tobacco leaves were reported in literatures as antibacterial. Therefore, this study proposed in vitro assay of the ethanolic heat reflux extract (EHRE) of Nicotiana tabacum var. Virginia against nosocomial bacteria pathogen ((Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), Eschericia coli (ATCC 25922), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212)). Kirby-bauer diffusion method was used for this assay. The concentration of the EHRE for Kirby-bauer assay were 20; 40; 60; 80; and 100%. The presence of clear zones on Kirby-bauer test, against the growth of each nosocomial bacteria pathogen show that tobacco extract has antibacterial effect. Statistical analysis result showed that each extract concentration had significant difference value (p <0,05). This study indicated that the content (alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids and steroids) of tobacco leaf extracts (N. tabacum) has potential as antibacterial against nosocomial bacteria pathogen. Nevertheless, optimization of tobacco leaf extract to obtain maximum active ingredient still needs to be done. This study is important for further development of the tobacco leaf extract as antibacterial

Raft cultivation area extraction from high resolution remote sensing imagery by fusing multi-scale region-line primitive association features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Min; Cui, Qi; Wang, Jie; Ming, Dongping; Lv, Guonian

2017-01-01

In this paper, we first propose several novel concepts for object-based image analysis, which include line-based shape regularity, line density, and scale-based best feature value (SBV), based on the region-line primitive association framework (RLPAF). We then propose a raft cultivation area (RCA) extraction method for high spatial resolution (HSR) remote sensing imagery based on multi-scale feature fusion and spatial rule induction. The proposed method includes the following steps: (1) Multi-scale region primitives (segments) are obtained by image segmentation method HBC-SEG, and line primitives (straight lines) are obtained by phase-based line detection method. (2) Association relationships between regions and lines are built based on RLPAF, and then multi-scale RLPAF features are extracted and SBVs are selected. (3) Several spatial rules are designed to extract RCAs within sea waters after land and water separation. Experiments show that the proposed method can successfully extract different-shaped RCAs from HR images with good performance.

Final report on the safety assessment of Juniperus communis Extract, Juniperus oxycedrus Extract, Juniperus oxycedrus Tar, Juniperus phoenicea extract, and Juniperus virginiana Extract.

PubMed

2001-01-01

The common juniper is a tree that grows in Europe, Asia, and North America. The ripe fruit of Juniperus communis and Juniperus oxycedrus is alcohol extracted to produce Juniperus Communis Extract and Juniperus Oxycedrus Extract, respectively. Juniperus Oxycedrus Tar is the volatile oil from the wood of J. oxycedrus. Juniperus Phoenicea Extract comes from the gum of Juniperus phoenicea, and Juniperus Virginiana Extract is extracted from the wood of Juniperus virginiana. Although Juniperus Oxycedrus Tar is produced as a by-product of distillation, no information was available on the manufacturing process for any of the Extracts. Oils derived from these varieties of juniper are used solely as fragrance ingredients; they are commonly produced using steam distillation of the source material, but it is not known if that procedure is used to produce extracts. One report does state that the chemical composition of Juniper Communis Oil and Juniperus Communis Extract is similar, each containing a wide variety of terpenoids and aromatic compounds, with the occasional aliphatic alcohols and aldehydes, and, more rarely, alkanes. The principle component of Juniperus Oxycedrus Tar is cadinene, a sesquiterpene, but cresol and guaiacol are also found. No data were available, however, indicating the extent to which there would be variations in composition that may occur as a result of extraction differences or any other factor such as plant growth conditions. Information on the composition of the other ingredients was not available. All of the Extracts function as biological additives in cosmetic formulations, and Juniperus Oxycedrus Tar is used as a hair-conditioning agent and a fragrance component. Most of the available safety test data are from studies using oils derived from the various varieties of juniper. Because of the expected similarity in composition to the extract, these data were considered. Acute studies using animals show little toxicity of the oil or tar. The oils

Combustion synthesis of MgO nanoparticles using plant extract: Structural characterization and photoluminescence studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Danith; Yadav, L. S. Reddy; Lingaraju, K.; Manjunath, K.; Suresh, D.; Prasad, Daruka; Nagabhushana, H.; Sharma, S. C.; Naika, H. Raja; Chikkahanumantharayappa, Nagaraju, G.

2015-06-01

Magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO Nps) have been successfully synthesized via solution combustion method using Parthenium plant extract as fuel for the first time. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) pattern reveal that product belongs to the cubic phase (Periclase). FTIR spectrum shows the band at 822 cm-1 indicates the formation of cubic periclase MgO. The optical band gap of MgO Nps estimated from UV -Vis spectrum was found to be in the range 5.40-5.45 eV. SEM images showed that, the product is agglomerated and particle in nature. Photoluminescence (PL) studies shows violet emission at 390 nm, blue emission at 470 nm and green emission at 550 nm. MgO Nps shows good photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under UV/Sun light irradiation.

Factors affecting re-vegetation dynamics of experimentally restored extracted peatland in Estonia.

PubMed

Karofeld, Edgar; Müür, Mari; Vellak, Kai

2016-07-01

Increasing human activity continues to threaten peatlands, and as the area of natural mires declines, our obligation is to restore their ecosystem functions. Several restoration strategies have been developed for restoration of extracted peatlands, including "The moss layer transfer method", which was initiated on the Tässi extracted peatland in central Estonia in May 2012. Three-year study shows that despite the fluctuating water table, rainfall events can compensate for the insufficient moisture for mosses. Total plant cover on the restoration area attained 70 %, of which ~60 % is comprised of target species-Sphagnum mosses. From restoration treatments, spreading of plant fragments had a significant positive effect on the cover of bryophyte and vascular plants. Higher water table combined with higher plant fragments spreading density and stripping of oxidised peat layer affected positively the cover of targeted Sphagnum species. The species composition in the restoration area became similar to that in the donor site in a natural bog. Based on results, it was concluded that the method approved for restoration in North America gives good results also in the restoration of extracted peatland towards re-establishment of bog vegetation under northern European conditions.

Extraction of Natural Antioxidants from the Thelephora ganbajun Mushroom by an Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction Technique and Evaluation of Antiproliferative Activity of the Extract against Human Cancer Cells.

PubMed

Xu, Dong-Ping; Zheng, Jie; Zhou, Yue; Li, Ya; Li, Sha; Li, Hua-Bin

2016-10-01

The Thelephora ganbajun mushroom has been found to be a potential rich source of natural antioxidants. In this study, an ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) technique together with GRAS (generally recognized as safe) solvents (ethanol and water) was used to maximize the extraction of antioxidants from Thelephora ganbajun . Five extraction parameters (ethanol concentration, solvent to solid ratio, extraction time, temperature and ultrasound power) were investigated by single-factor experiments, and then a central composite rotatable design was employed to study interaction of three key extraction parameters. The optimum conditions were as follows: 57.38% ethanol, 70.15 mL/g solvent to solid ratio, 10.58 min extraction time, 40 °C extraction temperature and 500 W ultrasound power. Under the optimum conditions, the antioxidant activity obtained was 346.98 ± 12.19 µmol Trolox/g DW, in accordance with the predicted value of 344.67 µmol Trolox/g DW. Comparison of UAE with conventional maceration and Soxhlet extraction, the UAE method showed stronger extract efficiency in a shorter extraction time. These results showed that UAE was an effective technique to extract antioxidants from Thelephora ganbajun . Furthermore, the extracts obtained under the optimized conditions exhibited antiproliferative activities toward human lung (A549), breast (MCF-7), liver (HepG2) and colon (HT-29) cancer cells, especially for liver and lung cancer cells. In addition, rutin, 2-hydrocinnamic acid and epicatechin were identified in the extract, which might contribute to antioxidant and antiproliferative activities.

Extraction of Natural Antioxidants from the Thelephora ganbajun Mushroom by an Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction Technique and Evaluation of Antiproliferative Activity of the Extract against Human Cancer Cells

PubMed Central

Xu, Dong-Ping; Zheng, Jie; Zhou, Yue; Li, Ya; Li, Sha; Li, Hua-Bin

2016-01-01

The Thelephora ganbajun mushroom has been found to be a potential rich source of natural antioxidants. In this study, an ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) technique together with GRAS (generally recognized as safe) solvents (ethanol and water) was used to maximize the extraction of antioxidants from Thelephora ganbajun. Five extraction parameters (ethanol concentration, solvent to solid ratio, extraction time, temperature and ultrasound power) were investigated by single-factor experiments, and then a central composite rotatable design was employed to study interaction of three key extraction parameters. The optimum conditions were as follows: 57.38% ethanol, 70.15 mL/g solvent to solid ratio, 10.58 min extraction time, 40 °C extraction temperature and 500 W ultrasound power. Under the optimum conditions, the antioxidant activity obtained was 346.98 ± 12.19 µmol Trolox/g DW, in accordance with the predicted value of 344.67 µmol Trolox/g DW. Comparison of UAE with conventional maceration and Soxhlet extraction, the UAE method showed stronger extract efficiency in a shorter extraction time. These results showed that UAE was an effective technique to extract antioxidants from Thelephora ganbajun. Furthermore, the extracts obtained under the optimized conditions exhibited antiproliferative activities toward human lung (A549), breast (MCF-7), liver (HepG2) and colon (HT-29) cancer cells, especially for liver and lung cancer cells. In addition, rutin, 2-hydrocinnamic acid and epicatechin were identified in the extract, which might contribute to antioxidant and antiproliferative activities. PMID:27706082

Development of a multivariate calibration model for the determination of dry extract content in Brazilian commercial bee propolis extracts through UV-Vis spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbeira, Paulo J. S.; Paganotti, Rosilene S. N.; Ássimos, Ariane A.

2013-10-01

This study had the objective of determining the content of dry extract of commercial alcoholic extracts of bee propolis through Partial Least Squares (PLS) multivariate calibration and electronic spectroscopy. The PLS model provided a good prediction of dry extract content in commercial alcoholic extracts of bee propolis in the range of 2.7 a 16.8% (m/v), presenting the advantage of being less laborious and faster than the traditional gravimetric methodology. The PLS model was optimized with outlier detection tests according to the ASTM E 1655-05. In this study it was possible to verify that a centrifugation stage is extremely important in order to avoid the presence of waxes, resulting in a more accurate model. Around 50% of the analyzed samples presented content of dry extract lower than the value established by Brazilian legislation, in most cases, the values found were different from the values claimed in the product's label.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Terminalia chebula extract at room temperature and their antimicrobial studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohan Kumar, Kesarla; Sinha, Madhulika; Mandal, Badal Kumar; Ghosh, Asit Ranjan; Siva Kumar, Koppala; Sreedhara Reddy, Pamanji

2012-06-01

A green rapid biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using Terminalia chebula (T. chebula) aqueous extract was demonstrated in this present study. The formation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) at 452 nm using UV-visible spectrophotometer. The reduction of silver ions to silver nanoparticles by T. chebula extract was completed within 20 min which was evidenced potentiometrically. Synthesised nanoparticles were characterised using UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The hydrolysable tannins such as di/tri-galloyl-glucose present in the extract were hydrolyzed to gallic acid and glucose that served as reductant while oxidised polyphenols acted as stabilizers. In addition, it showed good antimicrobial activity towards both Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus ATCC 25923) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli ATCC 25922). Industrially it may be a smart option for the preparation of silver nanoparticles.

Effect of Encapsulation on Antimicrobial Activity of
Herbal Extracts with Lysozyme

PubMed Central

Matouskova, Petra; Bokrova, Jitka; Benesova, Pavla

2016-01-01

Summary Resistance of microorganisms to antibiotics has increased. The use of natural components with antimicrobial properties can be of great significance to reduce this problem. The presented work is focused on the study of the effect of encapsulation of selected plant and animal antimicrobial substances (herbs, spices, lysozyme and nisin) on their activity and stability. Antimicrobial components were packaged into liposomes and polysaccharide particles (alginate, chitosan and starch). Antimicrobial activity was tested against two Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis and Micrococcus luteus) and two Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens) bacteria. Encapsulation was successful in all types of polysaccharide particles and liposomes. The prepared particles exhibited very good long-term stability, especially in aqueous conditions. Antimicrobial activity was retained in all types of particles. Liposomes with encapsulated herb and spice extracts exhibited very good inhibitory effect against all tested bacterial strains. Most of herbal extracts had very good antimicrobial effect against the tested Gram-negative bacterial strains, while Gram-positive bacteria were more sensitive to lysozyme particles. Thus, particles with co-encapsulated herbs and lysozyme are more active against different types of bacteria, and more stable and more effective during long-term storage. Particles with encapsulated mixture of selected plant extracts and lysozyme could be used as complex antimicrobial preparation with controlled release in the production of food and food supplements, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. PMID:27956862

Synergistic interactions between phenolic compounds identified in grape pomace extract with antibiotics of different classes against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Sanhueza, Loreto; Melo, Ricardo; Montero, Ruth; Maisey, Kevin; Mendoza, Leonora; Wilkens, Marcela

2017-01-01

Synergy could be an effective strategy to potentiate and recover antibiotics nowadays useless in clinical treatments against multi-resistant bacteria. In this study, synergic interactions between antibiotics and grape pomace extract that contains high concentration of phenolic compounds were evaluated by the checkerboard method in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. To define which component of the extract is responsible for the synergic effect, phenolic compounds were identified by RP-HPLC and their relative abundance was determined. Combinations of extract with pure compounds identified there in were also evaluated. Results showed that the grape pomace extract combined with representatives of different classes of antibiotics as β-lactam, quinolone, fluoroquinolone, tetracycline and amphenicol act in synergy in all S. aureus and E. coli strains tested with FICI values varying from 0.031 to 0.155. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was reduced 4 to 75 times. The most abundant phenolic compounds identified in the extract were quercetin, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid and luteolin with relative abundance of 26.3, 24.4, 16.7 and 11.4%, respectively. All combinations of the extract with the components also showed synergy with FICI values varying from 0.031 to 0.5 and MIC reductions of 4 to 125 times with both bacteria strains. The relative abundance of phenolic compounds has no correlation with the obtained synergic effect, suggesting that the mechanism by which the synergic effect occurs is by a multi-objective action. It was also shown that combinations of grape pomace extract with antibiotics are not toxic for the HeLa cell line at concentrations in which the synergistic effect was observed (47 μg/mL of extract and 0.6-375 μg/mL antibiotics). Therefore, these combinations are good candidates for testing in animal models in order to enhance the effect of antibiotics of different classes and thus restore the currently unused

Optimal Information Extraction of Laser Scanning Dataset by Scale-Adaptive Reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zang, Y.; Yang, B.

2018-04-01

3D laser technology is widely used to collocate the surface information of object. For various applications, we need to extract a good perceptual quality point cloud from the scanned points. To solve the problem, most of existing methods extract important points based on a fixed scale. However, geometric features of 3D object come from various geometric scales. We propose a multi-scale construction method based on radial basis function. For each scale, important points are extracted from the point cloud based on their importance. We apply a perception metric Just-Noticeable-Difference to measure degradation of each geometric scale. Finally, scale-adaptive optimal information extraction is realized. Experiments are undertaken to evaluate the effective of the proposed method, suggesting a reliable solution for optimal information extraction of object.

Hand and goods judgment algorithm based on depth information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Mingzhu; Zhang, Jinsong; Yan, Dan; Wang, Qin; Zhang, Ruiqi; Han, Jing

2016-03-01

A tablet computer with a depth camera and a color camera is loaded on a traditional shopping cart. The inside information of the shopping cart is obtained by two cameras. In the shopping cart monitoring field, it is very important for us to determine whether the customer with goods in or out of the shopping cart. This paper establishes a basic framework for judging empty hand, it includes the hand extraction process based on the depth information, process of skin color model building based on WPCA (Weighted Principal Component Analysis), an algorithm for judging handheld products based on motion and skin color information, statistical process. Through this framework, the first step can ensure the integrity of the hand information, and effectively avoids the influence of sleeve and other debris, the second step can accurately extract skin color and eliminate the similar color interference, light has little effect on its results, it has the advantages of fast computation speed and high efficiency, and the third step has the advantage of greatly reducing the noise interference and improving the accuracy.

Development of extract library from indonesian biodiversity: exploration of antibacterial activity of mangrove bruguiera cylindrica leaf extracts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Audah, K. A.; Amsyir, J.; Almasyhur, F.; Hapsari, A. M.; Sutanto, H.

2018-03-01

Antibacterial drugs derived from natural sources play significant roles in the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections since antibiotics have become less effective against many infectious diseases. Mangroves are very potential natural antibacterial sources among great numbers of wild medicinal plants. Bruguiera cylindrica is one of the many mangroves species which spread along Indonesian coastline. The aim of this study was to explore the antibacterial activity of B. cylindrica wet and dried leaf extracts. The wet extracts study was conducted with three different solvents system (water, ethanol, and n-Hexane) against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. While, the dried extracts study was conducted with four different solvents system (water, ethanol, chloroform and n-Hexane) against three types of bacteria, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus. The study showed that ethanol was the best solvent for extraction of phenolic and flavonoid. Antibacterial actitivity was measured by zone of inhibition which obtained from agar-disk diffusion method. The widest area of zone of inhibition was showed by wet extracts with ethanol against S. aureus and E. coli are 14.30 and 13.30 mm, respectively. While, the zone of inhibition dried extracts with ethanol against S. aureus, S. epidermidis and E. coli are 9.32, 6.59 and 6.20 mm, respectively. In conclusion, both type of extracts showed significant antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria as crude extracts.

Preparation of acellular scaffold for corneal tissue engineering by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction technology.

PubMed

Huang, Yi-Hsun; Tseng, Fan-Wei; Chang, Wen-Hsin; Peng, I-Chen; Hsieh, Dar-Jen; Wu, Shu-Wei; Yeh, Ming-Long

2017-08-01

In this study, we developed a novel method using supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO 2 ) to prepare acellular porcine cornea (APC). Under gentle extraction conditions using SCCO 2 technology, hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that cells were completely lysed, and cell debris, including nuclei, was efficiently removed from the porcine cornea. The SCCO 2 -treated corneas exhibited intact stromal structures and appropriate mechanical properties. Moreover, no immunological reactions and neovascularization were observed after lamellar keratoplasty in rabbits. All transplanted grafts and animals survived without complications. The transplanted APCs were opaque after the operation but became transparent within 2weeks. Complete re-epithelialization of the transplanted APCs was observed within 4weeks. In conclusion, APCs produced by SCCO 2 extraction technology could be an ideal and useful scaffold for corneal tissue engineering. We decellularized the porcine cornea using SCCO 2 extraction technology and investigated the characteristics, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility of the decellularized porcine cornea by lamellar keratoplasty in rabbits. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing the use of SCCO 2 extraction technology for preparation of acellular corneal scaffold. We proved that the cellular components of porcine corneas had been efficiently removed, and the biomechanical properties of the scaffold were well preserved by SCCO 2 extraction technology. SCCO 2 -treated corneas maintained optical transparency and exhibited appropriate strength to withstand surgical procedures. In vivo, the transplanted corneas showed no evidence of immunological reactions and exhibited good biocompatibility and long-term stability. Our results suggested that the APCs developed by SCCO 2 extraction technology could be an ideal and useful scaffold for corneal replacement and corneal tissue engineering. Copyright © 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by

Parameter Extraction Method for the Electrical Model of a Silicon Photomultiplier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Licciulli, Francesco; Marzocca, Cristoforo

2016-10-01

The availability of an effective electrical model, able to accurately reproduce the signals generated by a Silicon Photo-Multiplier coupled to the front-end electronics, is mandatory when the performance of a detection system based on this kind of detector has to be evaluated by means of reliable simulations. We propose a complete extraction procedure able to provide the whole set of the parameters involved in a well-known model of the detector, which includes the substrate ohmic resistance. The technique allows achieving very good quality of the fit between simulation results provided by the model and experimental data, thanks to accurate discrimination between the quenching and substrate resistances, which results in a realistic set of extracted parameters. The extraction procedure has been applied to a commercial device considering a wide range of different conditions in terms of input resistance of the front-end electronics and interconnection parasitics. In all the considered situations, very good correspondence has been found between simulations and measurements, especially for what concerns the leading edge of the current pulses generated by the detector, which strongly affects the timing performance of the detection system, thus confirming the effectiveness of the model and the associated parameter extraction technique.

Comparison of extraction procedures on the immunocontraceptive activity of neem seed extracts.

PubMed

Garg, S; Talwar, G P; Upadhyay, S N

1994-10-01

Azadirachta indica (Neem) seed extracts are known to activate the local cell-mediated immune reactions after a single intrauterine administration, leading to a long term reversible block of fertility. In order to identify and characterize the active fraction responsible for this activity, neem seeds were extracted by both mechanical expression and solvent extraction using a range of polar to non-polar solvents which yielded 3 broad fractions. The mechanically expressed oil was fractionated using different approaches and studied for antifertility activity. The hexane extract and a corresponding column fraction showed potent and reproducible antifertility activity. Other fractions were less stable with regard to reproducibility of effects and composition. It is our conclusion that for subsequent fractionation to reach the last active fraction, the hexane extract is the most useful starting material.

The Role of Forgetting in Undermining Good Intentions

PubMed Central

Olson, Kristina R.; Heberlein, Andrea S.; Kensinger, Elizabeth; Burrows, Christopher; Dweck, Carol S.; Spelke, Elizabeth S.; Banaji, Mahzarin R.

2013-01-01

Evaluating others is a fundamental feature of human social interaction–we like those who help more than those who hinder. In the present research, we examined social evaluation of those who not only intentionally performed good and bad actions but also those to whom good things have happened (the lucky) and those to whom bad things have happened (the unlucky). In Experiment 1a, subjects demonstrated a sympathetic preference for the unlucky. However, under cognitive load (Experiment 1b), no such preference was expressed. Further, in Experiments 2a and 2b, when a time delay between impression formation (learning) and evaluation (memory test) was introduced, results showed that younger (Experiment 2a) and older adults (Experiment 2b) showed a significant preference for the lucky. Together these experiments show that a consciously motivated sympathetic preference for those who are unlucky dissolves when memory is disrupted. The observed dissociation provides evidence for the presence of conscious good intentions (favoring the unlucky) and the cognitive compromising of such intentions when memory fails. PMID:24236093

[Comparison of Chemical Components of Essential Oil from Ocimum basilicum var. pilosum Extracted by Supercritical CO2 Fluid and Steam Distillation].

PubMed

Wang, Zhao-yu; Zheng, Jia-huan; Shi, Sheng-ying; Luo, Zhi-xiong; Ni, Shun-yu; Lin, Jing-ming

2015-11-01

To compare the chemical components of essential oil prepared by steam distillation extraction (SD) and supercritical CO2 fluid extraction (SFE-CO2) from Ocimum basilicum var. pilosum whole plant. The essential oil of Ocimum basilicum var. pilosum were extracted by SD and SFE-CO2. The chemical components of essential oil were separated and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry( GC-MS). Their relative contents were determined by normalization of peak area. 40 and 42 compounds were detected in the essential oil prepared by SD and SFE-CO2 respectively. 25 compounds were common. Thereare significant differences of the chemical components between the Ocimum basilicum var. pilosum essential oil prepared by SD and thatby SFE-CO2. Different methods showed different extraction efficiency with a special compound. It might be a good idea to unite several methods in the modern traditional Chinese medicine industry.

Effect of parsley (Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nym. ex A.W. Hill, Apiaceae) extracts on some biochemical parameters of oxidative stress in mice treated with CCl(4).

PubMed

Popović, Mira; Kaurinović, Biljana; Jakovljević, Vida; Mimica-Dukic, Neda; Bursać, Marija

2007-08-01

The in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity of different extracts of leaves and root of parsley (Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nym. ex A.W. Hill, Apiaceae) were studied. Free radical scavenging capacity (RSC) was evaluated measuring the scavenging activity on the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) and OH radicals. Also, the effects on lipid peroxidation (LP) were evaluated. The results obtained showed that all examined extracts act as good scavengers of DPPH and OH radicals and reduce the intensity of LP. The in vivo effects were evaluated on some antioxidant systems (activities of LPx, GSH-Px, Px, CAT and XOD, and GSH content) in the mice liver and blood after treatment with the examined parsley extracts, or in combination with carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)). On the basis of the results obtained it can be concluded that the examined extracts exhibited a certain protective effect. However, combined treatments with CCl(4) and the examined extracts showed both positive and negative synergism, inducing or suppressing the influence of CCl(4) alone. (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A simple method to extract DNA from hair shafts using enzymatic laundry powder.

PubMed

Guan, Zheng; Zhou, Yu; Liu, Jinchuan; Jiang, Xiaoling; Li, Sicong; Yang, Shuming; Chen, Ailiang

2013-01-01

A simple method to extract DNA from hair shafts was developed by using enzymatic laundry powder at the first step of the process. The whole extraction can be finished in less than 2 hours. The simple extraction reagent proposed here contains only two cheap components: ordinary enzymatic laundry powder and PCR buffer. After extraction, an ultra sensitive fluorescent nucleic acid stain, PicoGreen, was used for quantifying trace amount of double-stranded DNA in the solution extracted. For further validation of DNA extraction, four primers were employed to amplify DNA microsatellite loci. Both fluorescence spectroscopy and PCR results suggested that this method can extract DNA from hair shafts with good efficiency and repeatability. The study will greatly facilitate the use of hair shafts in future for DNA analyses on genome-wide scale.

Micelle-mediated extraction of elderberry blossom by whey protein and naturally derived surfactants.

PubMed

Śliwa, Karolina; Tomaszkiewicz-Potępa, Anna; Sikora, Elżbieta; Ogonowski, Jan

2013-01-01

Classical methods of the extraction of active ingredients from the plant material are expensive, complicated and often environmentally unfriendly. The micelle-mediated extraction method (MME) seems to be a good alternative. In this work, extractions of elderberry blossoms (Flos Sambuci) were performed using MME methods. Several popular surfactants and whey protein concentrate (WPC) was applied in the process. The obtained results were compared with those obtained in extraction by means of water. Antioxidant properties of the extracts were analyzed by using two different methods: reaction with di(phenyl)-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)iminoazanium (DPPH) reagent and Follin's method. Furthermore, the flavonoid content in the extracts was determined. The results confirmed that the MME method with using whey protein might be an alternative method for obtaining, rich in natural antioxidants, plant extracts.

Pedagogical Uses of the Public Goods Concept in Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiesling, Herbert J.

1990-01-01

Describes some of the relatively unknown aspects of the concept of public goods and shows how they might be brought into undergraduate textbooks in microeconomic principles, public finance, and welfare economics. Illustrates how these aspects of public goods can be brought into undergraduate instruction. (DB)

The heterotoxicity of Hordeum vulgare L. extracts in four growth stages on germination and seedlings growth of Avena ludoviciana.

PubMed

Kolahi, M; Peivastegan, B; Hadizade, I; Abdali, A

2008-07-15

Phytotoxicity of barley extracts (Hordeum vulgare L.) on wild oat (Avena ludoviciana Durieu) was investigated. Water extracts five varieties of barley were bioassayed on germination and seedling growth of wild-oat to test the heterotoxicity of barley on wild-oat, study the dynamics of allelopathic potential over four growth stages and identify the most allelopathic plant part of barley in each stage. Whole barley plants were extracted at growth stage 4 (stems not developed enough), whilst for the following growth stages roots, stems, panicles and leaves were extracted separately. Seedling growth bioassays demonstrated that the wild-oat responded differently to the allelopathic potential of barley. For wild-oat radical growth and coleoptile growth were more depressed than germination, though. The allelopathic potential of barley plant parts was not stable over its life cycle for wild-oat. Leaves and stems were the most phytotoxic barley plant parts for wild-oat in the all stages. Among the varieties Eizeh appeared as the best one showing toxicity to seed germination of wild oat at its stage 4 and 8. Results suggested that the response by wild-oat varied depending on the source of allelochemicals (plant part) and the growth stage of the barley plant and kind of variety. The results leaded to conclude that Eizeh variety of barley was good to grow as it has good check on seed germination of wild oat plants as well as it also retarded the growth of root and shoot length of oat.

Contact and fumigant toxicity of hexane flower bud extract of Syzygium aromaticum and its compounds against Pediculus humanus capitis (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae).

PubMed

Bagavan, Asokan; Rahuman, Abdul Abdul; Kamaraj, Chinnaperumal; Elango, Gandhi; Zahir, Abdul Abduz; Jayaseelan, Chidambaram; Santhoshkumar, Thirunavukkarasu; Marimuthu, Sampath

2011-11-01

The head lice, Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer is an obligate ectoparasite of humans that causes pediculosis capitis, a nuisance for millions of people worldwide, with high prevalence in children. P. humanus capitis has been treated by methods that include the physical remotion of lice, various domestic treatments, and conventional insecticides. None of these methods render complete protection, and there is clear evidence for the evolution of resistance and cross-resistance to conventional insecticides. Non-toxic alternative options are hence needed for head lice treatment and/or prevention, and natural products from plants are good candidates for safer control agents that may provide good anti-lice activity. The plant extracts are good and safe alternatives due to their low toxicity to mammals and easy biodegradability. The present study carried out the pediculocidal activity using the hexane flower bud extract of Syzygium aromaticum (Myrtaceae) against P. humanus capitis examined by direct contact and fumigant toxicity (closed- and open-container methods) bioassay. The chemical composition of S. aromaticum flower bud hexane extract was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major chemical constituent (58.79%) of flower bud hexane extract S. aromaticum was identified as chavibetol (5-allyl-2-methoxyphenol) by comparison of mass spectral data and retention times. The hexane extract of S. aromaticum was subjected to gas chromatography analysis, and totally 47 compounds were detected, of which chavibetol was predominantly present. The other major constituents present in the hexane extract were eugenol acetate (phenol,2-methoxy-4-(2-propenyl)-,acetate (15.09%), caryophyllene-(I1) (2,6,10,10-tetramethyl bicyclo [7.2.0] undeca-1,6-diene (13.75%), caryophyllene oxide (3.04%), 2,6,6,9-tetramethyl-1,4,8-cycloundecatriene (1.67%), and copaene (1.33%). The filter paper contact bioassay study showed pronounced pediculicidal activity in the flower bud hexane

Chemical characterization and extractives composition of heartwood and sapwood from Quercus faginea

PubMed Central

Miranda, Isabel; Sousa, Vicelina; Ferreira, Joana; Pereira, Helena

2017-01-01

Heartwood and sapwood of Quercus faginea were evaluated in relation to summative chemical composition and non-polar and polar extracts composition, including an assessment of antioxidant properties (DPPH and FRAP). Twenty trees from two sites in Portugal were analysed. Heartwood had approximately two times more solvent extractible compounds than sapwood (on average 19.0% and 9.5%). The lipophilic extractible compounds were below 1%, and most of them were polar e.g. ethanol-soluble compounds corresponded to 65% of total extractives in heartwood and 43% in sapwood. Lignin content was similar in sapwood and heartwood (28.1% and 28.6% of extractive-free wood respectively) as well as the sugar composition. Site did not influence the chemical composition. The lipophilic extractible compounds from both sapwood and heartwood included mainly saturated fatty acids (23.0% and 36.9% respectively) and aromatic compounds were also abundant in sapwood (22.9%). The ethanol-water extractibles had a high content of phenolic substances (558.0 and 319.4 mg GAE/g extract, respectively of heartwood and sapwood). The polyphenolic composition was similar in heartwood and sapwood with higher content of ellagitannins (168.9 and 153.5 mg tannic acid/g of extract in sapwood and heartwood respectively) and very low content of condensed tannins. The antioxidant activity was very high with IC50 of 2.6 μg/ml and 3.3 μg/ml for sapwood and heartwood respectively, as compared to standard antioxidants (IC50 of 3.8 μg/ml for Trolox). The ferric reducing ability was 2.8 and 2.0 mMol Trolox equivalents/g extract of heartwood and sapwood respectively. The variability between trees was low and no differences between the two sites were found. Q. faginea showed a very good potential for cooperage and other applications for which a source of compounds with antioxidant properties is desirable. PMID:28614371

Characterization of phytoconstituents and evaluation of antimicrobial activity of silver-extract nanoparticles synthesized from Momordica charantia fruit extract.

PubMed

Rashid, Md Mamun Or; Akhter, Kazi Nahid; Chowdhury, Jakir Ahmed; Hossen, Foysal; Hussain, Md Saddam; Hossain, Md Tanvir

2017-06-26

Our present study was conducted to characterize the phytoconstituents present in the aqueous extract of Momordica charantia and evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of silver-extract nanoparticles (Ag-Extract-NPs). Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were prepared by reducing AgNO 3; and NaBH 4 served as reducing agent. After screening of phytochemicals; AgNPs and aqueous extract were mixed thoroughly and then coated by polyaniline. These NPs were characterized by using Visual inspection, UV spectroscopy, FTIR, SEM and TEM techniques. Antimicrobial activities were assessed against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Aqueous extract of M. charantia fruits contain alkaloid, phenol, saponin etc. UV-Vis spectrum showed strong absorption peak around 408 nm. The presence of -CH, -NH, -COOH etc. stretching in FTIR spectrum of Ag-Extract-NPs endorsed that AgNPs were successfully capped by bio-compounds. SEM and TEM result revealed that synthesized NPs had particle size 78.5-220 nm. Ag-Extract-NPs showed 34.6 ± 0.8 mm zone of inhibition against E. coli compared to 25.6 ± 0.5 mm for ciprofloxacin. Maximum zone of inhibition for Ag-Extract-NPs were 24.8 ± 0.7 mm, 26.4 ± 0.4 mm, 7.4 ± 0.4 mm for S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and S. typhi. We found that Ag-Extract-NPs have much better antibacterial efficacy than AgNPs and M. charantia extract has individually. It is also noticed that gram negative bacteria (except S. typhi) are more susceptible to Ag-Extract-NPs than gram positive bacteria. Ag-Extract-NPs showed strong antibacterial activity. In order to make a reliable stand for mankind, further study is needed to consider determining the actual biochemical pathway by which AgNPs-extracts exert their antimicrobial effect.

Frequency of orthodontic extraction

PubMed Central

Dardengo, Camila de S.; Fernandes, Luciana Q. P.; Capelli, Jonas

2016-01-01

Introduction: The option of dental extraction for orthodontic purposes has been debated for more than 100 years, including periods when it was widely used in treatment, including the present, during which other methods are used to avoid dental extractions. The objective was to analyze the frequency of tooth extraction treatment performed between 1980 and 2011 at the Orthodontic Clinic of Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). Material and Methods: The clinical records of 1484 patients undergoing orthodontic treatment were evaluated. The frequency of extractions was evaluated with regard to sex, Angle's classification, the different combinations of extractions and the period when orthodontic treatment began. Chi-square test was used to determine correlations between variables, while the chi-square test for trends was used to assess the frequency of extractions over the years. Results: There was a reduction of approximately 20% in the frequency of cases treated with tooth extraction over the last 32 years. The most frequently extracted teeth were first premolars. Patients with Class I malocclusion showed fewer extractions, while Class II patients underwent a higher number of extraction treatment. There were no statistically significant differences with regard to sex. Conclusion: New features introduced into the orthodontic clinic and new esthetic concepts contributed to reducing the number of cases treated with dental extractions. However, dental extractions for orthodontic purposes are still well indicated in certain cases. PMID:27007762

A Generic multi-dimensional feature extraction method using multiobjective genetic programming.

PubMed

Zhang, Yang; Rockett, Peter I

2009-01-01

In this paper, we present a generic feature extraction method for pattern classification using multiobjective genetic programming. This not only evolves the (near-)optimal set of mappings from a pattern space to a multi-dimensional decision space, but also simultaneously optimizes the dimensionality of that decision space. The presented framework evolves vector-to-vector feature extractors that maximize class separability. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach by making statistically-founded comparisons with a wide variety of established classifier paradigms over a range of datasets and find that for most of the pairwise comparisons, our evolutionary method delivers statistically smaller misclassification errors. At very worst, our method displays no statistical difference in a few pairwise comparisons with established classifier/dataset combinations; crucially, none of the misclassification results produced by our method is worse than any comparator classifier. Although principally focused on feature extraction, feature selection is also performed as an implicit side effect; we show that both feature extraction and selection are important to the success of our technique. The presented method has the practical consequence of obviating the need to exhaustively evaluate a large family of conventional classifiers when faced with a new pattern recognition problem in order to attain a good classification accuracy.

Cytotoxicity and mutagenicity studies on migration extracts from nanocomposites with potential use in food packaging.

PubMed

Maisanaba, Sara; Pichardo, Silvia; Jordá-Beneyto, María; Aucejo, Susana; Cameán, Ana M; Jos, Ángeles

2014-04-01

Clays are used in the food packaging industry to obtain nanocomposites. The use of these new materials is a concern, because they could reach consumers by oral exposure through possible migration, and potential toxic effects could be derived. In the present study, several in vitro basal cytotoxicity and mutagenicity tests on migration extracts obtained from a nanocomposite material with poly (lactic) acid (PLA) and two modified clays, Clay1 and Clay2, are shown. Migration extracts in distilled water showed values of 0.1 ± 0.2mg/dm(2) in all samples. Also, the content of characteristic metals of the clays structure (Al, Ca, Mg, Fe, Si) was studied and no statistical differences were observed. For the cytotoxicity assays, the human intestinal Caco-2 and human liver HepG2 cells were selected. Cells were exposed to concentrations between 2.5% and 100% extracts determining three different biomarkers of cellular viability. No significant differences were observed in the cytotoxicity assays. Finally, mutagenicity was evaluated by the Ames test and resulted in the absence of mutagenic response at all the concentrations assayed. Taking in account all above mentioned, these new materials show a good profile for their use in food packaging although further research is still needed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A new solid-phase extraction disk based on a sheet of single-walled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Niu, Hong Yun; Cai, Ya Qi; Shi, Ya Li; Wei, Fu Sheng; Liu, Jie Min; Jiang, Gui Bin

2008-11-01

A new kind of solid-phase extraction disk based on a sheet of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is developed in this study. The properties of such disks are tested, and different disks showed satisfactory reproducibility. One liter of aqueous solution can pass through the disk within 10-100 min while still allowing good recoveries. Two disks (DD-disk) can be stacked to enrich phthalate esters, bisphenol A (BPA), 4-n-nonylphenol (4-NP), 4-tert-octylphenol (4-OP) and chlorophenols from various volumes of solution. The results show that SWCNT disks have high extraction ability for all analytes. The SWCNT disk can extract polar chlorophenols more efficiently than a C(18) disk from water solution. Unlike the activated carbon disk, analytes adsorbed by the new disks can be eluted completely with 8-15 mL of methanol or acetonitrile. Finally, the DD-disk system is used to pretreat 1000-mL real-world water samples spiked with BPA, 4-OP and 4-NP. Detection limits of 7, 25, and 38 ng L(-1) for BPA, 4-OP, and 4-NP, respectively, were achieved under optimized conditions. The advantages of this new disk include its strong adsorption ability, its high flow rate and its easy preparation.

Investigation of Diospyros Kaki L.f husk extracts as corrosion inhibitors and bactericide in oil field

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Hydrochloric acid is used in oil-well acidizing commonly for improving the crude oil production of the low-permeable reservoirs, while it is a great challenge for the metal instruments involved in the acidification. Developing natural products as oilfield chemicals is a straight way to find less expensive, green and eco-friendly materials. The great plant resources in Qin-ling and Ba-shan Mountain Area of Shannxi Province enable the investigating of new green oil field chemicals. Diospyros Kaki L.f (persimmon), a famous fruit tree is widely planted in Qin-ling and Ba-shan Mountain Area of Shaanxi Province. It has been found that the crude persimmon extracts are complex mixtures containing vitamins, p-coumaric acid, gallic acid, catechin, flavonoids, carotenoids and condensed tannin and so on, which indicates the extracts of persimmon husk suitable to be used as green and eco-friendly corrosion inhibitors. Findings Extracts of persimmon husk were investigated, by using weight loss and potentiodynamic polarisation techniques, as green and eco-friendly corrosion inhibitors of Q235A steel in 1M HCl. The inhibition efficiency of the extracts varied with extract concentration from 10 to 1,000 mg/L. There are some synergistic effects between the extracts and KI, KSCN and HMTA. Potentiodynamic polarization studies indicate that extracts are mixed-type inhibitors. Besides, the extracts were screened for antibacterial activity against oil field microorganisms, and they showed good to moderate activity against SRB, IB and TGB. Conclusions The inhibition efficiency of the extracts varied with extract concentration from 10 to 1,000 mg/L, and the highest reaches to 65.1% with the con concentration of 1,000 mg/L WE. KI, KSCN and HMTA they can enhance the IE of WE effectively to 97.3% at most, but not effective for KI and KSCN to AE. Tafel polarisation measurements indicate the extracts behave as mixed type inhibitor. Investigation of the antibacterial activity against

Potential of mangrove Avicennia rumphiana extract as an antioxidant agent using multilevel extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulmartiwi, L.; Pujiastuti, D. Y.; Tjahjaningsih, W.; Jariyah

2018-04-01

Avicennia rumphiana is one of abundant mangrove found in Indonesia. Multilevel extraction methods were simultaneously conducted to screen the antioxidant activity from mangrove. The leaves, fruits and barks were consequently extracted using n-hexane, ethyl acetate and ethanol. The presence of phenolic, flavonoids and tannins compounds were characterized by quantitative and qualitative phytochemical assay as well as the antioxidant activity was examined using DPPH-free radical scavenging assay. The phytochemical test revealed that all of the extracts showed positive result. The fruits extract exhibited the highest phenolic, flavonoid and tannin (23.86 mg/g, 13.77 mg/g and 74.63 mg/g), respectively. The extracts were further confirmed for antioxidant using IC50 value and revealed that ethyl acetate extract has antioxidant activity better than n-hexane and ethyl acetate extract. Furthermore, this study indicated that mangrove Avicennia rumphiana could be subsequently explored for other biological activities due to their potential secondary metabolites.

Calcium Alginate-Caged Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Dispersive Microsolid Phase Extraction Combined With Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection for the Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Water Samples.

PubMed

Abboud, Ayad Sami; Sanagi, Mohd Marsin; Ibrahim, Wan Aini Wan; Keyon, Aemi S Abdul; Aboul-Enein, Hassan Y

2018-02-01

In this study, caged calcium alginate-caged multiwalled carbon nanotubes dispersive microsolid phase extraction was described for the first time for the extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from water samples prior to gas chromatographic analysis. Fluorene, phenanthrene and fluoranthene were selected as model compounds. The caged calcium alginate-caged multiwalled carbon nanotubes was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and thermal gravimetry analyses. The effective parameters namely desorption solvent, solvent volume, extraction time, desorption time, the mass of adsorbent and sample volume were optimized. Under the optimum extraction conditions, the developed method showed good linearity in the range of 0.5-50 ng mL-1 (R2 ≥ 0.996), low limits of detection and quantification (0.42-0.22 ng mL-1) (0.73-1.38 ng mL-1) respectively, good relative recoveries (71.2-104.2%) and reproducibility (RSD 1.8-12.4%, n = 3) for the studied PAHs in water sample. With high enrichment factor (1,000), short extraction time (<30 min), low amounts of adsorbent (100 mg) and low amounts of solvent (0.1 mol) have proven that the microsolid phase extraction method based on calcium alginate-caged multiwalled carbon nanotubes are environmentally friendly and convenient extraction method to use as an alternative adsorbent in the simultaneous preconcentration of PAHs from environmental water samples. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Tabletted microspheres containing Cynara scolymus (var. Spinoso sardo) extract for the preparation of controlled release nutraceutical matrices.

PubMed

Gavini, E; Alamanni, M C; Cossu, M; Giunchedi, P

2005-08-01

Controlled release dosage forms based on tabletted microspheres containing fresh artichoke Cynara scolymus extract were performed for the oral administration of a nutritional supplement. Microspheres were prepared using a spray-drying technique; lactose or hypromellose have been chosen as excipients. Microspheres were characterized in terms of encapsulated extract content, size and morphology. Qualitative and quantitative composition of the extract before and after the spray process was determined. Compressed matrices (tablets) were prepared by direct compression of the spray-dried microspheres. In vitro release tests of microparticles and tablets prepared were carried out in both acidic and neutral media. Spray-drying is a good method to prepare microspheres containing the artichoke extract. The microspheres encapsulate an amount of extract close to the theoretical value. Particle size analyses indicate that the microparticles have dvs of approximately 6-7 microm. Electronic microscopy observations reveal that particles based on lactose have spherical shape and particles containing hypromellose are almost collapsed. The hydroalcoholic extract is stable to the microsphere production process: its polyphenolic composition (qualitative and quantitative) did not change after spraying. In vitro release studies show that microparticles characterized by a quick polyphenolic release both in acidic and neutral media due to the high water solubility of the carrier lactose. On the contrary, microspheres based hypromellose release only 20% of the loaded extract at pH 1.2 in 2 h and the total amount of polyphenols is released only after about further 6 h at pH 6.8. Matrices prepared tabletting lactose microspheres and hypromellose microparticles in the weight ratio 1:1 show a slow release rate, that lasts approximately 24 h. This one-a-day sustained release formulation containing Cynara scolymus extract could be proposed as a nutraceutical controlled release dosage form for

Yellow Mealworm Protein for Food Purposes - Extraction and Functional Properties

PubMed Central

Zhao, Xue; Vázquez-Gutiérrez, José Luis; Johansson, Daniel P.; Landberg, Rikard; Langton, Maud

2016-01-01

A protocol for extraction of yellow mealworm larvae proteins was established, conditions were evaluated and the resulting protein extract was characterised. The freeze-dried yellow mealworm larvae contained around 33% fat, 51% crude protein and 43% true protein on a dry matter basis. The true protein content of the protein extract was about 75%, with an extraction rate of 70% under optimised extraction conditions using 0.25 M NaOH, a NaOH solution:ethanol defatted worm ratio of 15:1 mL/g, 40°C for 1 h and extraction twice. The protein extract was a good source of essential amino acids. The lowest protein solubility in distilled water solution was found between pH 4 and 5, and increased with either increasing or decreasing pH. Lower solubility was observed in 0.5 M NaCl solution compared with distilled water. The rheological tests indicated that temperature, sample concentration, addition of salt and enzyme, incubation time and pH alterations influenced the elastic modulus of yellow mealworm protein extract (YMPE). These results demonstrate that the functional properties of YMPE can be modified for different food applications. PMID:26840533

Treatment-resistant depressed patients show a good response to Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy

PubMed Central

Kenny, M.A.; Williams, J.M.G.

2007-01-01

Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a class-based programme designed for use in the prevention of relapse of major depression. Its aim is to teach participants to disengage from those cognitive processes that may render them vulnerable to future episodes. These same cognitive processes are also known to maintain depression once established, hence a clinical audit was conducted to explore the use of MBCT in patients who were currently actively depressed, and who had not responded fully to standard treatments. The study showed that it was acceptable to these patients and resulted in an improvement in depression scores (pre-post Effect Size=1.04), with a significant proportion of patients returning to normal or near-normal levels of mood. PMID:16797486

Switch for Good Community Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crawford, Tabitha; Amran, Martha

2013-11-19

Switch4Good is an energy-savings program that helps residents reduce consumption from behavior changes; it was co-developed by Balfour Beatty Military Housing Management (BB) and WattzOn in Phase I of this grant. The program was offered at 11 Navy bases. Three customer engagement strategies were evaluated, and it was found that Digital Nudges (a combination of monthly consumption statements with frequent messaging via text or email) was most cost-effective. The program was delivered on-time and on-budget, and its success is based on the teamwork of local BB staff and the WattzOn team. The following graphic shows Switch4Good “by the numbers”, e.g.more » the scale of operations achieved during Phase I.« less

Ruta graveolens Extracts and Metabolites against Spodoptera frugiperda.

PubMed

Ayil-Gutiérrez, Benjamin A; Villegas-Mendoza, Jesús M; Santes-Hernndez, Zuridai; Paz-González, Alma D; Mireles-Martínez, Maribel; Rosas-García, Ninfa M; Rivera, Gildardo

2015-11-01

The biological activity of Ruta graveolens leaf tissue extracts obtained with different solvents (ethyl acetate, ethanol, and water) and metabolites (psoralen, 2- undecanone and rutin) against Spodoptera frugiperda was evaluated. Metabolites levels in extracts were quantified by HPLC and GC. Ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts showed 94% and 78% mortality, respectively. Additionally, psoralen metabolite showed a high mortality as cypermethrin. Metabolite quantification in extracts shows the presence of 2-undecanone (87.9 µmoles mg(-1) DW), psoralen (3.6 µmoles mg(-1) DW) and rutin (0.001 pmoles mg(-1) DW). We suggest that these concentrations of 2-undecanone and psoralen in R. graveolens leaf tissue extracts could be responsible for S. frugiperda mortality.

Machine Reading for Extraction of Bacteria and Habitat Taxonomies

PubMed Central

Kordjamshidi, Parisa; Massa, Wouter; Provoost, Thomas; Moens, Marie-Francine

2015-01-01

There is a vast amount of scientific literature available from various resources such as the internet. Automating the extraction of knowledge from these resources is very helpful for biologists to easily access this information. This paper presents a system to extract the bacteria and their habitats, as well as the relations between them. We investigate to what extent current techniques are suited for this task and test a variety of models in this regard. We detect entities in a biological text and map the habitats into a given taxonomy. Our model uses a linear chain Conditional Random Field (CRF). For the prediction of relations between the entities, a model based on logistic regression is built. Designing a system upon these techniques, we explore several improvements for both the generation and selection of good candidates. One contribution to this lies in the extended exibility of our ontology mapper that uses an advanced boundary detection and assigns the taxonomy elements to the detected habitats. Furthermore, we discover value in the combination of several distinct candidate generation rules. Using these techniques, we show results that are significantly improving upon the state of art for the BioNLP Bacteria Biotopes task. PMID:27077141

Biological Properties of Fucoxanthin in Oil Recovered from Two Brown Seaweeds Using Supercritical CO2 Extraction

PubMed Central

Periaswamy Sivagnanam, Saravana; Yin, Shipeng; Choi, Jae Hyung; Park, Yong Beom; Woo, Hee Chul; Chun, Byung Soo

2015-01-01

The bioactive materials in brown seaweeds hold great interest for developing new drugs and healthy foods. The oil content in brown seaweeds (Saccharina japonica and Sargassum horneri) was extracted by using environmentally friendly supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) with ethanol as a co-solvent in a semi-batch flow extraction process and compared the results with a conventional extraction process using hexane, ethanol, and acetone mixed with methanol (1:1, v/v). The SC-CO2 method was used at a temperature of 45 °C and pressure of 250 bar. The flow rate of CO2 (27 g/min) was constant for the entire extraction period of 2 h. The obtained oil from the brown seaweeds was analyzed to determine their valuable compounds such as fatty acids, phenolic compounds, fucoxanthin and biological properties including antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antihypertension effects. The amounts of fucoxanthin extracted from the SC-CO2 oils of S. japonica and S. horneri were 0.41 ± 0.05 and 0.77 ± 0.07 mg/g, respectively. High antihypertensive activity was detected when using mixed acetone and methanol, whereas the phenolic content and antioxidant property were higher in the oil extracted by SC-CO2. The acetone–methanol mix extracts exhibited better antimicrobial activities than those obtained by other means. Thus, the SC-CO2 extraction process appears to be a good method for obtaining valuable compounds from both brown seaweeds, and showed stronger biological activity than that obtained by the conventional extraction process. PMID:26035021

Biological Properties of Fucoxanthin in Oil Recovered from Two Brown Seaweeds Using Supercritical CO2 Extraction.

PubMed

Sivagnanam, Saravana Periaswamy; Yin, Shipeng; Choi, Jae Hyung; Park, Yong Beom; Woo, Hee Chul; Chun, Byung Soo

2015-05-29

The bioactive materials in brown seaweeds hold great interest for developing new drugs and healthy foods. The oil content in brown seaweeds (Saccharina japonica and Sargassum horneri) was extracted by using environmentally friendly supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) with ethanol as a co-solvent in a semi-batch flow extraction process and compared the results with a conventional extraction process using hexane, ethanol, and acetone mixed with methanol (1:1, v/v). The SC-CO2 method was used at a temperature of 45 °C and pressure of 250 bar. The flow rate of CO2 (27 g/min) was constant for the entire extraction period of 2 h. The obtained oil from the brown seaweeds was analyzed to determine their valuable compounds such as fatty acids, phenolic compounds, fucoxanthin and biological properties including antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antihypertension effects. The amounts of fucoxanthin extracted from the SC-CO2 oils of S. japonica and S. horneri were 0.41 ± 0.05 and 0.77 ± 0.07 mg/g, respectively. High antihypertensive activity was detected when using mixed acetone and methanol, whereas the phenolic content and antioxidant property were higher in the oil extracted by SC-CO2. The acetone-methanol mix extracts exhibited better antimicrobial activities than those obtained by other means. Thus, the SC-CO2 extraction process appears to be a good method for obtaining valuable compounds from both brown seaweeds, and showed stronger biological activity than that obtained by the conventional extraction process.

Depreciation of public goods in spatial public goods games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Dong-Mei; Zhuang, Yong; Li, Yu-Jian; Wang, Bing-Hong

2011-10-01

In real situations, the value of public goods will be reduced or even lost because of external factors or for intrinsic reasons. In this work, we investigate the evolution of cooperation by considering the effect of depreciation of public goods in spatial public goods games on a square lattice. It is assumed that each individual gains full advantage if the number of the cooperators nc within a group centered on that individual equals or exceeds the critical mass (CM). Otherwise, there is depreciation of the public goods, which is realized by rescaling the multiplication factor r to (nc/CM)r. It is shown that the emergence of cooperation is remarkably promoted for CM > 1 even at small values of r, and a global cooperative level is achieved at an intermediate value of CM = 4 at a small r. We further study the effect of depreciation of public goods on different topologies of a regular lattice, and find that the system always reaches global cooperation at a moderate value of CM = G - 1 regardless of whether or not there exist overlapping triangle structures on the regular lattice, where G is the group size of the associated regular lattice.

Rapid metal extractability tests from polluted mining soils by ultrasound probe sonication and microwave-assisted extraction systems.

PubMed

García-Salgado, Sara; Quijano, M Ángeles

2016-12-01

Ultrasonic probe sonication (UPS) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) were used for rapid single extraction of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn from soils polluted by former mining activities (Mónica Mine, Bustarviejo, NW Madrid, Spain), using 0.01 mol L -1 calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ), 0.43 mol L -1 acetic acid (CH 3 COOH), and 0.05 mol L -1 ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) at pH 7 as extracting agents. The optimum extraction conditions by UPS consisted of an extraction time of 2 min for both CaCl 2 and EDTA extractions and 15 min for CH 3 COOH extraction, at 30% ultrasound (US) amplitude, whereas in the case of MAE, they consisted of 5 min at 50 °C for both CaCl 2 and EDTA extractions and 15 min at 120 °C for CH 3 COOH extraction. Extractable concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The proposed methods were compared with a reduced version of the corresponding single extraction procedures proposed by the Standards, Measurements and Testing Programme (SM&T). The results obtained showed a great variability on extraction percentages, depending on the metal, the total concentration level and the soil sample, reaching high values in some areas. However, the correlation analysis showed that total concentration is the most relevant factor for element extractability in these soil samples. From the results obtained, the application of the accelerated extraction procedures, such as MAE and UPS, could be considered a useful approach to evaluate rapidly the extractability of the metals studied.

Free amino acids, biogenic amines, and ammonium profiling in tobacco from different geographical origins using microwave-assisted extraction followed by ultra high performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Cai, Kai; Xiang, Zhangmin; Li, Hongqin; Zhao, Huina; Lin, Yechun; Pan, Wenjie; Lei, Bo

2017-12-01

This work describes a rapid, stable, and accurate method for determining the free amino acids, biogenic amines, and ammonium in tobacco. The target analytes were extracted with microwave-assisted extraction and then derivatized with diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate, followed by ultra high performance liquid chromatography analysis. The experimental design used to optimize the microwave-assisted extraction conditions showed that the optimal extraction time was 10 min with a temperature of 60°C. The stability of aminoenone derivatives was improved by keeping the pH near 9.0, and there was no obvious degradation during the 80°C heating and room temperature storage. Under optimal conditions, this method showed good linearity (R 2 > 0.999) and sensitivity (limits of detection 0.010-0.081 μg/mL). The extraction recoveries were between 88.4 and 106.5%, while the repeatability and reproducibility ranged from 0.48 to 5.12% and from 1.56 to 6.52%, respectively. The newly developed method was employed to analyze the tobacco from different geographical origins. Principal component analysis showed that four geographical origins of tobacco could be clearly distinguished and that each had their characteristic components. The proposed method also showed great potential for further investigations on nitrogen metabolism in plants. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Simultaneous extraction and determination of phthalate esters in aqueous solution by yolk-shell magnetic mesoporous carbon-molecularly imprinted composites based on solid-phase extraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Yang, Rui; Liu, Yuxin; Yan, Xiangyang; Liu, Shaomin

2016-12-01

A rapid, sensitive and accurate method for the simultaneous extraction and determination of five types of trace phthalate esters (PAEs) in environmental water and beverage samples using magnetic molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MMIP-SPE) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed. A novel type of molecularly imprinted polymers on the surface of yolk-shell magnetic mesoporous carbon (Fe 3 O 4 @void@C-MIPs) was used as an efficient adsorbent for selective adsorption of phthalate esters based on magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE). The real samples were first preconcentrated by Fe 3 O 4 @void@C-MIPs, subsequently extracted by eluent and finally determined by GC-MS after magnetic separation. Several variables affecting the extraction efficiency of the analytes, including the type and volume of the elution solvent, amount of adsorbent, extraction time, desorption time and pH of the sample solution, were investigated and optimized. Validation experiments indicated that the developed method presented good linearity (R 2 >0.9961), satisfactory precision (RSD<6.7%), and high recovery (86.1-103.1%). The limits of detection ranged from 1.6ng/L to 5.2ng/L and the enrichment factor was in the range of 822-1423. The results indicated that the novel method had the advantages of convenience, good sensitivity, and high efficiency, and it could also be successfully applied to the analysis of PAEs in real samples. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

On the meniscus formation and the negative hydrogen ion extraction from ITER neutral beam injection relevant ion source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mochalskyy, S.; Wünderlich, D.; Ruf, B.; Fantz, U.; Franzen, P.; Minea, T.

2014-10-01

The development of a large area (Asource,ITER = 0.9 × 2 m2) hydrogen negative ion (NI) source constitutes a crucial step in construction of the neutral beam injectors of the international fusion reactor ITER. To understand the plasma behaviour in the boundary layer close to the extraction system the 3D PIC MCC code ONIX is exploited. Direct cross checked analysis of the simulation and experimental results from the ITER-relevant BATMAN source testbed with a smaller area (Asource,BATMAN ≈ 0.32 × 0.59 m2) has been conducted for a low perveance beam, but for a full set of plasma parameters available. ONIX has been partially benchmarked by comparison to the results obtained using the commercial particle tracing code for positive ion extraction KOBRA3D. Very good agreement has been found in terms of meniscus position and its shape for simulations of different plasma densities. The influence of the initial plasma composition on the final meniscus structure was then investigated for NIs. As expected from the Child-Langmuir law, the results show that not only does the extraction potential play a crucial role on the meniscus formation, but also the initial plasma density and its electronegativity. For the given parameters, the calculated meniscus locates a few mm downstream of the plasma grid aperture provoking a direct NI extraction. Most of the surface produced NIs do not reach the plasma bulk, but move directly towards the extraction grid guided by the extraction field. Even for artificially increased electronegativity of the bulk plasma the extracted NI current from this region is low. This observation indicates a high relevance of the direct NI extraction. These calculations show that the extracted NI current from the bulk region is low even if a complete ion-ion plasma is assumed, meaning that direct extraction from surface produced ions should be present in order to obtain sufficiently high extracted NI current density. The calculated extracted currents, both ions

[AAPH scavenging activities of 22 flavonoids and phenolic acids and 9 extracts of Chinese materia medica].

PubMed

Dai, Huiqing; Chen, Chengyu; Yang, Bin

2010-09-01

To investigate the AAPH scavenging activities of 22 flavonoids and phenolic acids and 9 extracts of Chinese materia medica. The antioxidant activities of the samples were evaluated by an oxygen radical absorbance capacity method (ORAC), at the same time, the total contents of flavonoids and phenolic the 9 herb extracts were analyzed by Folin-Ciocalteu method, and the active components were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by an HPLC method. It was found that the tea extract showed the strongest AAPH activity with the ORAC value of 4786.40 micromol x g(-1) whereas safflower demonstrated the weakest activity with the ORAC value of 784.04 micromol x g(-1). As for compounds, quercetin had the strongest AAPH activity with the ORAC value of 12.90 while ( - )-EGC had the weakest activity with the ORAC value of 2.47. A quantitative relationship was obtained to describe the AAPH scavenging activity of the herb extracts: Y = 1844.8 lnX-3577.5, r = 0.8675, where Y stands for the ORAC vaule, and X stands for the concentration of total phenolic acids. Flavonoids and phenolic acids are the AAPH scavenging active ingredients in the Chinese herb extracts. It's a good way to study the antioxidant activity of Chinese herb extract and its chemical composition by combing ORAC method and HPLC method.

Croton grewioides Baill. (Euphorbiaceae) Shows Antidiarrheal Activity in Mice

PubMed Central

da Silva, Anne Dayse Soares; de Melo e Silva, Karoline; Neto, José Clementino; Costa, Vicente Carlos de Oliveira; Pessôa, Hilzeth de Luna F.; Tavares, Josean Fechine; da Silva, Marcelo Sobral; Cavalcante, Fabiana de Andrade

2016-01-01

Based on chemotaxonomy, we decided to investigate the possible antidiarrheal activity in mice of a crude ethanolic extract obtained from aerial parts of Croton grewioides (CG-EtOH). We tested for any possible toxicity in rat erythrocytes and acute toxicity in mice. Antidiarrheal activity was assessed by determining the effect of CG-EtOH on defecation frequency, liquid stool, intestinal motility and intestinal fluid accumulation. CG-EtOH showed no in vitro cytotoxicity and was not orally lethal. In contrast, the extract given intraperitoneally (at 2000 mg/kg) was lethal, but only in females. CG-EtOH produced a significant and equipotent antidiarrheal activity, both in defecation frequency (ED50 = 106.0 ± 8.1 mg/kg) and liquid stools (ED50 = 105.0 ± 9.2 mg/kg). However, CG-EtOH (125 mg/kg) decreased intestinal motility by only 22.7% ± 4.4%. Moreover, extract markedly inhibited the castor oil-induced intestinal contents (ED50 = 34.6 ± 5.4 mg/kg). We thus conclude that CG-EtOH is not orally lethal and contains active principles with antidiarrheal activity, and this effect seems to involve mostly changes in intestinal secretion. SUMMARY CG-EtOH showed no in vitro cytotoxicity and was not orally lethal. In contrast, the extract given intraperitoneally (at 2000 mg/kg) was lethal, but only in females.CG-EtOH probably contains active metabolites with antidiarrheal activity.CG-EtOH reduced the frequency and number of liquid stools.Metabolites presents in the CG-EtOH act mainly by reducing intestinal fluid and, to a lesser extent, reducing intestinal motility. Abbreviations Used: CG-EtOH: crude ethanolic extract obtained from the aerial parts of C. grewioides; WHO: World Health Organization; ED50: dose of a drug that produces 50% of its maximum effect; Emax: maximum effect PMID:27365990

Mutagenicity of diesel exhaust particle extracts: influence of fuel composition in two diesel engines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clark, C.R.; Henderson, T.R.; Royer, R.E.

The influence of diesel fuel composition on mutagenicity of exhaust particle associated organic compounds has been investigated using nine fuels varying in aromatic content and distillation properties. The tests were conducted with Oldsmobile Delta-88 and Peugot 504 diesel cars operated according to the EPA Federal Test Procedure. The particulate exhaust from each test was collected on a filter, extracted in dichloromethane and the resulting extract evaluated for mutagenicity in Salmonella strain TA-100. Mutagenicity of extracts of particles collected from the Oldsmobile were highest in the higher aromatic content fuels (greater than 30%) but similar for intermediate (20%) and low (13%)more » aromatic content fuels. No influence of aromaticity on mutagenicity was observed in samples collected from the Peugeot under the same conditions. Thus, fuel aromatic content may enhance the production of mutagenic combustion products at higher concentrations, but may be dependent upon engine type. A good correlation was observed between mutagenicity of the particle extracts and the initial boiling point of the fuel (r . 0.89). Gas chromatography/mass spectrometric analysis of the aromatic fraction of the fuels showed that the fuel producing the most mutagenic combustion products was highest in phenanthrene type compounds.« less

Supercritical CO2 Extraction of Rice Bran Oil -the Technology, Manufacture, and Applications.

PubMed

Sookwong, Phumon; Mahatheeranont, Sugunya

2017-06-01

Rice bran is a good source of nutrients that have large amounts of phytochemicals and antioxidants. Conventional rice bran oil production requires many processes that may deteriorate and degrade these valuable substances. Supercritical CO 2 extraction is a green alternative method for producing rice bran oil. This work reviews production of rice bran oil by supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO 2 ) extraction. In addition, the usefulness and advantages of SC-CO 2 extracted rice bran oil for edible oil and health purpose is also described.

Phytosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using aqueous leaf extracts of Lippia citriodora: Antimicrobial, larvicidal and photocatalytic evaluations.

PubMed

Elemike, Elias E; Onwudiwe, Damian C; Ekennia, Anthony C; Ehiri, Richard C; Nnaji, Nnaemeka J

2017-06-01

Nanoscience and nanotechnology represent new and enabling platforms that promise to provide broad range of novel and improved technologies for environmental, biological and other scientific applications. This study reports the synthesis of silver nanoparticles mediated by aqueous leaf extract of Lippia citriodora at two different temperatures of 50°C and 90°C. The synthesis of colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was monitored by the use of UV-visible spectroscopy at different temperatures and time intervals. The surface plasmon bands (SPBs) showed peaks between 417 and 421nm at 90°C and around 430nm at 50°C, indicating a red shift at lower temperature. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis of the nanoparticles showed the presence of similar peaks found in the spectra of the plant extract. The size of the AgNPs was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) which indicated an average size of 23.8nm (90°C) and 25nm (50°C). The nanoparticles showed better antimicrobial activities when compared to the crude plant extract against several screened pathogens: Gram negative (Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhi) and Gram positive (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) strains and a fungi organism; Candida albicans. In addition, the AgNPs showed good larvicidal efficacy against early 4th instar of Culex quinquefasciatus (a vector of lymphatic filariasis). Finally, the nanoparticles exhibited photocatalytic properties on an industrial waste pollutant, methylene blue. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

MedXN: an open source medication extraction and normalization tool for clinical text

PubMed Central

Sohn, Sunghwan; Clark, Cheryl; Halgrim, Scott R; Murphy, Sean P; Chute, Christopher G; Liu, Hongfang

2014-01-01

Objective We developed the Medication Extraction and Normalization (MedXN) system to extract comprehensive medication information and normalize it to the most appropriate RxNorm concept unique identifier (RxCUI) as specifically as possible. Methods Medication descriptions in clinical notes were decomposed into medication name and attributes, which were separately extracted using RxNorm dictionary lookup and regular expression. Then, each medication name and its attributes were combined together according to RxNorm convention to find the most appropriate RxNorm representation. To do this, we employed serialized hierarchical steps implemented in Apache's Unstructured Information Management Architecture. We also performed synonym expansion, removed false medications, and employed inference rules to improve the medication extraction and normalization performance. Results An evaluation on test data of 397 medication mentions showed F-measures of 0.975 for medication name and over 0.90 for most attributes. The RxCUI assignment produced F-measures of 0.932 for medication name and 0.864 for full medication information. Most false negative RxCUI assignments in full medication information are due to human assumption of missing attributes and medication names in the gold standard. Conclusions The MedXN system (http://sourceforge.net/projects/ohnlp/files/MedXN/) was able to extract comprehensive medication information with high accuracy and demonstrated good normalization capability to RxCUI as long as explicit evidence existed. More sophisticated inference rules might result in further improvements to specific RxCUI assignments for incomplete medication descriptions. PMID:24637954

Extraction, purification and antioxidant activities of the polysaccharides from maca (Lepidium meyenii).

PubMed

Zha, Shenghua; Zhao, Qingsheng; Chen, Jinjin; Wang, Liwei; Zhang, Guifeng; Zhang, Hong; Zhao, Bing

2014-10-13

Water-soluble polysaccharides were separated from maca (Lepidium meyenii) aqueous extract (MAE). The crude polysaccharides were deproteinized by Sevag method. During the preparation process of maca polysaccharides, amylase and glucoamylase effectively removed starch in maca polysaccharides. Four Lepidium meyenii polysaccharides (LMPs) were obtained by changing the concentration of ethanol in the process of polysaccharide precipitation. All of the LMPs were composed of rhamnose, arabinose, glucose and galactose. Antioxidant activity tests revealed that LMP-60 showed good capability of scavenging hydroxyl free radical and superoxide radical at 2.0mg/mL, the scavenging rate was 52.9% and 85.8%, respectively. Therefore, the results showed that maca polysaccharides had a high antioxidant activity and could be explored as the source of bioactive compounds. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical name extraction based on automatic training data generation and rich feature set.

PubMed

Yan, Su; Spangler, W Scott; Chen, Ying

2013-01-01

The automation of extracting chemical names from text has significant value to biomedical and life science research. A major barrier in this task is the difficulty of getting a sizable and good quality data to train a reliable entity extraction model. Another difficulty is the selection of informative features of chemical names, since comprehensive domain knowledge on chemistry nomenclature is required. Leveraging random text generation techniques, we explore the idea of automatically creating training sets for the task of chemical name extraction. Assuming the availability of an incomplete list of chemical names, called a dictionary, we are able to generate well-controlled, random, yet realistic chemical-like training documents. We statistically analyze the construction of chemical names based on the incomplete dictionary, and propose a series of new features, without relying on any domain knowledge. Compared to state-of-the-art models learned from manually labeled data and domain knowledge, our solution shows better or comparable results in annotating real-world data with less human effort. Moreover, we report an interesting observation about the language for chemical names. That is, both the structural and semantic components of chemical names follow a Zipfian distribution, which resembles many natural languages.

Characteristics of Frozen Yoghurt Enriched with Red Dragon Fruit Skin Extracts (Hylocereus polyrhizus)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Analianasari; Apriyani, M.

2018-01-01

The composition of the dragon fruit skin with fruit has a weight of 30-35% of the fruit weight and has not been widely utilized. Previous studies have suggested that red dragon fruit skin extracts with water solvent contain 1.1 mg / 100 ml anthocyanin. The content of anthocyanin can function lower cholesterol content in blood, besides red dragon fruit skin contains fiber about 46,7% which is very good for health. This study aims to determine the chemical characteristics of frozen yogurt red dragon skin fruit to antioxidant levels, fiber content, pH, Total acid content and frozen yogurt melting time. The design of the research was Randomized Complete Design (RAL) of 1 factor, which was treated as red dragon skin fruit extract, consisting of 4 treatment levels: 0%, 25%, 35%, and 45%. The results showed that the addition of red dragon fruit extract increased antioxidant levels ranging from 4.00 to 12.25%, crude fiber content ranged from 1.037 to 1.625%, total acid ranged from 0.73 to 1.14%, and decreased the pH value of 5, 48 - 4.39 and has a melting time of frozen yogurt 17.20 - 22.88 minutes.

Ultrasonic-assisted extraction of essential oil from Botryophora geniculate using different extracting solvents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habibullah, Wilfred, Cecilia Devi

2016-11-01

This study compares the performance of ionic liquids to substitute conventional solvents (hexane, dichloromethane and methanol) to extract essential oil from Botryophora geniculate plant. Two different Ionic liquids ([C3MIM][Ac], [C4MIM][Ac]) with co-solvent diethyl ether were used in the ultrasonic-assisted extraction. The effect of various experimental conditions such as time, temperature and solvent were studied. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) was used to analyze essential oils. The results showed that in ultrasonic-assisted extraction using ionic liquids as a solvent gave highest yield (9.5%) in 30 min at temperature 70°C. When using ultrasonic bath with hexane, dichloromethane and methanol, yields was (3.34%), (3.6%) and (3.81%) at 90 min, respectively were obtained. The ultrasonic-assisted extraction under optimal extraction conditions (time 30 min, temperature of 70°C) gave the best yield for the essential oil extraction.

Pigeons can discriminate "good" and "bad" paintings by children.

PubMed

Watanabe, Shigeru

2010-01-01

Humans have the unique ability to create art, but non-human animals may be able to discriminate "good" art from "bad" art. In this study, I investigated whether pigeons could be trained to discriminate between paintings that had been judged by humans as either "bad" or "good". To do this, adult human observers first classified several children's paintings as either "good" (beautiful) or "bad" (ugly). Using operant conditioning procedures, pigeons were then reinforced for pecking at "good" paintings. After the pigeons learned the discrimination task, they were presented with novel pictures of both "good" and "bad" children's paintings to test whether they had successfully learned to discriminate between these two stimulus categories. The results showed that pigeons could discriminate novel "good" and "bad" paintings. Then, to determine which cues the subjects used for the discrimination, I conducted tests of the stimuli when the paintings were of reduced size or grayscale. In addition, I tested their ability to discriminate when the painting stimuli were mosaic and partial occluded. The pigeons maintained discrimination performance when the paintings were reduced in size. However, discrimination performance decreased when stimuli were presented as grayscale images or when a mosaic effect was applied to the original stimuli in order to disrupt spatial frequency. Thus, the pigeons used both color and pattern cues for their discrimination. The partial occlusion did not disrupt the discriminative behavior suggesting that the pigeons did not attend to particular parts, namely upper, lower, left or right half, of the paintings. These results suggest that the pigeons are capable of learning the concept of a stimulus class that humans name "good" pictures. The second experiment showed that pigeons learned to discriminate watercolor paintings from pastel paintings. The subjects showed generalization to novel paintings. Then, as the first experiment, size reduction test

Virtual goods recommendations in virtual worlds.

PubMed

Chen, Kuan-Yu; Liao, Hsiu-Yu; Chen, Jyun-Hung; Liu, Duen-Ren

2015-01-01

Virtual worlds (VWs) are computer-simulated environments which allow users to create their own virtual character as an avatar. With the rapidly growing user volume in VWs, platform providers launch virtual goods in haste and stampede users to increase sales revenue. However, the rapidity of development incurs virtual unrelated items which will be difficult to remarket. It not only wastes virtual global companies' intelligence resources, but also makes it difficult for users to find suitable virtual goods fit for their virtual home in daily virtual life. In the VWs, users decorate their houses, visit others' homes, create families, host parties, and so forth. Users establish their social life circles through these activities. This research proposes a novel virtual goods recommendation method based on these social interactions. The contact strength and contact influence result from interactions with social neighbors and influence users' buying intention. Our research highlights the importance of social interactions in virtual goods recommendation. The experiment's data were retrieved from an online VW platform, and the results show that the proposed method, considering social interactions and social life circle, has better performance than existing recommendation methods.

Virtual Goods Recommendations in Virtual Worlds

PubMed Central

Chen, Kuan-Yu; Liao, Hsiu-Yu; Chen, Jyun-Hung; Liu, Duen-Ren

2015-01-01

Virtual worlds (VWs) are computer-simulated environments which allow users to create their own virtual character as an avatar. With the rapidly growing user volume in VWs, platform providers launch virtual goods in haste and stampede users to increase sales revenue. However, the rapidity of development incurs virtual unrelated items which will be difficult to remarket. It not only wastes virtual global companies' intelligence resources, but also makes it difficult for users to find suitable virtual goods fit for their virtual home in daily virtual life. In the VWs, users decorate their houses, visit others' homes, create families, host parties, and so forth. Users establish their social life circles through these activities. This research proposes a novel virtual goods recommendation method based on these social interactions. The contact strength and contact influence result from interactions with social neighbors and influence users' buying intention. Our research highlights the importance of social interactions in virtual goods recommendation. The experiment's data were retrieved from an online VW platform, and the results show that the proposed method, considering social interactions and social life circle, has better performance than existing recommendation methods. PMID:25834837

Evaluation of different methods of protein extraction and identification of differentially expressed proteins upon ethylene-induced early-ripening in banana peels.

PubMed

Zhang, Li-Li; Feng, Ren-Jun; Zhang, Yin-Dong

2012-08-15

Banana peels (Musa spp.) are a good example of a plant tissue where protein extraction is challenging due to the abundance of interfering metabolites. Sample preparation is a critical step in proteomic research and is critical for good results. We sought to evaluate three methods of protein extraction: trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-acetone precipitation, phenol extraction, and TCA precipitation. We found that a modified phenol extraction protocol was the most optimal method. SDS-PAGE and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) demonstrated good protein separation and distinct spots of high quality protein. Approximately 300 and 550 protein spots were detected on 2-DE gels at pH values of 3-10 and 4-7, respectively. Several spots were excised from the 2-DE gels and identified by mass spectrometry. The protein spots identified were found to be involved in glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and the biosynthesis of ethylene. Several of the identified proteins may play important roles in banana ripening. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of pectins from grape pomace using citric acid: a response surface methodology approach.

PubMed

Minjares-Fuentes, R; Femenia, A; Garau, M C; Meza-Velázquez, J A; Simal, S; Rosselló, C

2014-06-15

An ultrasound-assisted procedure for the extraction of pectins from grape pomace with citric acid as the extracting agent was established. A Box-Behnken design (BBD) was employed to optimize the extraction temperature (X1: 35-75°C), extraction time (X2: 20-60 min) and pH (X3: 1.0-2.0) to obtain a high yield of pectins with high average molecular weight (MW) and degree of esterification (DE) from grape pomace. Analysis of variance showed that the contribution of a quadratic model was significant for the pectin extraction yield and for pectin MW whereas the DE of pectins was more influenced by a linear model. An optimization study using response surface methodology was performed and 3D response surfaces were plotted from the mathematical model. According to the RSM model, the highest pectin yield (∼32.3%) can be achieved when the UAE process is carried out at 75°C for 60 min using a citric acid solution of pH 2.0. These pectic polysaccharides, composed mainly by galacturonic acid units (<97% of total sugars), have an average MW of 163.9 kDa and a DE of 55.2%. Close agreement between experimental and predicted values was found. These results suggest that ultrasound-assisted extraction could be a good option for the extraction of functional pectins with citric acid from grape pomace at industrial level. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Model of wealth and goods dynamics in a closed market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ausloos, Marcel; Peķalski, Andrzej

2007-01-01

A simple computer simulation model of a closed market on a fixed network with free flow of goods and money is introduced. The model contains only two variables: the amount of goods and money beside the size of the system. An initially flat distribution of both variables is presupposed. We show that under completely random rules, i.e. through the choice of interacting agent pairs on the network and of the exchange rules that the market stabilizes in time and shows diversification of money and goods. We also indicate that the difference between poor and rich agents increases for small markets, as well as for systems in which money is steadily deduced from the market through taxation. It is also found that the price of goods decreases when taxes are introduced, likely due to the less availability of money.

Accurate quantification of astaxanthin from Haematococcus crude extract spectrophotometrically

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yeguang; Miao, Fengping; Geng, Yahong; Lu, Dayan; Zhang, Chengwu; Zeng, Mingtao

2012-07-01

The influence of alkali on astaxanthin and the optimal working wave length for measurement of astaxanthin from Haematococcus crude extract were investigated, and a spectrophotometric method for precise quantification of the astaxanthin based on the method of Boussiba et al. was established. According to Boussiba's method, alkali treatment destroys chlorophyll. However, we found that: 1) carotenoid content declined for about 25% in Haematococcus fresh cysts and up to 30% in dry powder of Haematococcus broken cysts after alkali treatment; and 2) dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-extracted chlorophyll of green Haematococcus bares little absorption at 520-550 nm. Interestingly, a good linear relationship existed between absorbance at 530 nm and astaxanthin content, while an unknown interference at 540-550 nm was detected in our study. Therefore, with 530 nm as working wavelength, the alkali treatment to destroy chlorophyll was not necessary and the influence of chlorophyll, other carotenoids, and the unknown interference could be avoided. The astaxanthin contents of two samples were measured at 492 nm and 530 nm; the measured values at 530 nm were 2.617 g/100 g and 1.811 g/100 g. When compared with the measured values at 492 nm, the measured values at 530 nm decreased by 6.93% and 11.96%, respectively. The measured values at 530 nm are closer to the true astaxanthin contents in the samples. The data show that 530 nm is the most suitable wave length for spectrophotometric determination to the astaxanthin in Haematococcus crude extract.

Asymmetric anode and cathode extraction structure fast recovery diode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Jiaqiang; Ma, Li; Gao, Yong

2018-05-01

This paper presents an asymmetric anode structure and cathode extraction fast and soft recovery diode. The device anode is partial-heavily doped and partial-lightly doped. The P+ region is introduced into the cathode. Firstly, the characteristics of the diode are simulated and analyzed. Secondly, the diode was fabricated and its characteristics were tested. The experimental results are in good agreement with the simulation results. The results show that, compared with the P–i–N diode, although the forward conduction characteristic of the diode is declined, the reverse recovery peak current is reduced by 47%, the reverse recovery time is shortened by 20% and the softness factor is doubled. In addition, the breakdown voltage is increased by 10%. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51177133).

19 CFR 10.605 - Goods classifiable as goods put up in sets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Rules of Origin § 10.605 Goods classifiable as goods... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Goods classifiable as goods put up in sets. 10.605 Section 10.605 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY...

Effect of utilization of tomato extract and foliar fertilizer as media on shoots multiplication of banana cv Ambon in vitro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bidhari, L. A.; Purwanto, E.; Yunus, A.

2018-03-01

The good quality banana seeds are still difficult to obtain. There are two ways to provide seeds, namely conventional and tissue culture (in vitro). Tomato extract contains natural ZPT or phytohormone which can be utilized in modification of banana tissue culture media. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of media types and tomato extracts in various concentrations for multiplication of banana cv. Ambon in vitro. The study was conducted from October - December 2016 at the Tissue Culture Laboratory of Horticulture Seed Center, Salaman, Magelang. The experimental design used was completely randomized design with two treatment factors. The firs factor was media type with the addition of foliar fertilizer, the second factor was modification of tomato extract with 4 levels. The results showed that the different of the treated media treatment did not affect the emerge of leaf and leaf length, the number of roots and root length. The emerge of the leaves of all treatments occurred at 6 days after planting with the highest average length was obtained in MS treatment with a combination of tomato extract 50 ml/l (10.3 cm). The use of MS medium with a combination of tomato extract 50 ml/l generated the average root number 15.5 with a root lengths 7.5 cm. Substitution of MS medium with tomato extract and foliar fertilizer did not show better results compared to the use of MS media in the multiplication of banana shoots in tissue culture.

Fatty acid composition and antioxidant activity of tea (Camellia sinensis L.) seed oil extracted by optimized supercritical carbon dioxide.

PubMed

Wang, Yuefei; Sun, Da; Chen, Hao; Qian, Lisheng; Xu, Ping

2011-01-01

Seeds are another product in addition to leaves (raw materials for teas) of tea (Camellia sinensis L.) plant. The great increase of tea consumption in recent years raises the challenge of finding commercial applications for tea seeds. In the present study, supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO(2)) extraction edible oil from tea seed was carried out, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize processing parameters including time (20-90 min), temperature (35-45 °C) and pressure (50-90 MPa). The fatty acid composition and antioxidant activity of the extracted oil was also investigated. The highest yield of oil (29.2 ± 0.6%) was obtained under optimal SC-CO(2) extraction conditions (45 °C, 89.7 min and 32 MPa, respectively), which was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that (25.3 ± 1.0%) given by Soxhlet extraction. Meanwhile, tea seed oil extracted by SC-CO(2) contained approximately 80% unsaturated fatty acids and showed a much stronger scavenging ability on the DPPH radical than that extracted by Soxhlet. SC-CO(2) is a promising alternative for efficient extraction of edible oil from tea seed. Moreover, tea seed oil extracted by SC-CO(2) is highly edible and has good antioxidant activity, and therefore may play a potential role as a health-promoting food resource in human diets.

Fatty Acid Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) Seed Oil Extracted by Optimized Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

PubMed Central

Wang, Yuefei; Sun, Da; Chen, Hao; Qian, Lisheng; Xu, Ping

2011-01-01

Seeds are another product in addition to leaves (raw materials for teas) of tea (Camellia sinensis L.) plant. The great increase of tea consumption in recent years raises the challenge of finding commercial applications for tea seeds. In the present study, supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction edible oil from tea seed was carried out, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize processing parameters including time (20–90 min), temperature (35–45 °C) and pressure (50–90 MPa). The fatty acid composition and antioxidant activity of the extracted oil was also investigated. The highest yield of oil (29.2 ± 0.6%) was obtained under optimal SC-CO2 extraction conditions (45 °C, 89.7 min and 32 MPa, respectively), which was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that (25.3 ± 1.0%) given by Soxhlet extraction. Meanwhile, tea seed oil extracted by SC-CO2 contained approximately 80% unsaturated fatty acids and showed a much stronger scavenging ability on the DPPH radical than that extracted by Soxhlet. SC-CO2 is a promising alternative for efficient extraction of edible oil from tea seed. Moreover, tea seed oil extracted by SC-CO2 is highly edible and has good antioxidant activity, and therefore may play a potential role as a health-promoting food resource in human diets. PMID:22174626

Extraction condition optimization and effects of drying methods on physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.) root.

PubMed

Shang, Hongmei; Zhou, Haizhu; Duan, Mengying; Li, Ran; Wu, Hongxin; Lou, Yujie

2018-06-01

This study was designed to investigate the extraction conditions of polysaccharides from comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.) root (CRPs) using response surface methodology (RSM). The effects of three variables including liquid-solid ratio, extraction time and extraction temperature on the extraction yield of CRPs were taken into consideration. Moreover, the effects of drying methods including hot air drying (HD), vacuum drying (VD) and freeze drying (FD) on the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of CRPs were evaluated. The optimal conditions to extract the polysaccharides were as follows: liquid-solid ratio (15mL/g), extraction time (74min), and extraction temperature (95°C), allowed a maximum polysaccharides yield of 22.87%. Different drying methods had significant effects on the physicochemical properties of CRPs such as the chemical composition (contents of total polysaccharides and uronic acid), relative viscosity, solubility and molecular weight. CRPs drying with FD method showed stronger reducing power and radical scavenging capacities against DPPH and ABTS radicals compared with CRPs drying with HD and VD methods. Therefore, freeze drying served as a good method for keeping the antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from comfrey root. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a Kelp-type Structure Module in a Coastal Ocean Model to Assess the Hydrodynamic Impact of Seawater Uranium Extraction Technology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Taiping; Khangaonkar, Tarang; Long, Wen

2014-02-07

In recent years, with the rapid growth of global energy demand, the interest in extracting uranium from seawater for nuclear energy has been renewed. While extracting seawater uranium is not yet commercially viable, it serves as a “backstop” to the conventional uranium resources and provides an essentially unlimited supply of uranium resource. With recent advances in seawater uranium extraction technology, extracting uranium from seawater could be economically feasible when the extraction devices are deployed at a large scale (e.g., several hundred km2). There is concern however that the large scale deployment of adsorbent farms could result in potential impacts tomore » the hydrodynamic flow field in an oceanic setting. In this study, a kelp-type structure module was incorporated into a coastal ocean model to simulate the blockage effect of uranium extraction devices on the flow field. The module was quantitatively validated against laboratory flume experiments for both velocity and turbulence profiles. The model-data comparison showed an overall good agreement and validated the approach of applying the model to assess the potential hydrodynamic impact of uranium extraction devices or other underwater structures in coastal oceans.« less

Selective transarterial embolization with n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate for the treatment of arterial hemorrhage after third molar extraction.