Improved aqueous solubility,bioaccessibility and cellular uptake of quercetin following pH-driven encapsulation in whey protein isolate

The purpose of this study was to increase the water solubility and potential bioavailability of quercetin by encapsulation in whey protein isolate (WPI) based on a green, efficient pH-driven method. According to the results, the water solubility of quercetin increased by 346.9: times after loading into WPI nanoparticles. When the initial quercetin concentration was 0.25 mg mL⁻¹ and WPI was 2% w/v, the encapsulation efficiency reached 94.1%, the Z-average diameter was 36.63 nm, and the zeta potential was −36.4 mV at pH 7.0. The fluorescence spectroscopy assay suggested the molecular complexation of quercetin and WPI at pH 12.0. X-ray diffraction assay indicated the enclosure of amorphous quercetin in WPI. Correspondingly, the bioaccessibility increased from 2.76% to 31.23% and the Caco-2 cell monolayer uptake increased from 0% to 2.12% after nanoencapsulation. This work confirmed that the pH-driven method is an effective approach to prepare WPI–quercetin nanocapsules to improve physical and potentially biological properties of quercetin.     

Tempering–preservation treatment inactivated lipase in wheat bran and retained phenolic compounds

Wheat bran is rich in functional ingredients, but the high level of lipase limits its applications. Tempering–preservation treatment (at 70–90 °C with moisture of 20%–40% for 1–4 h) was exploited for stabilising wheat bran and its effect on polyphenols was investigated. The results showed that more lipase was inactivated at higher tempering moisture, temperature and longer time. The optimum condition for inactivation of wheat bran lipase was 30% moisture and 90 °C for 4 h. The inactivation rate reached 93.8% with a residual enzyme activity of 0.264 U g⁻¹. Under the optimum condition, the sum of free phenolic acids rose from 25.4 to 55.8 µg g⁻¹. As for bound phenolic acids, there was a slight increase of hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives but a slight decrease of hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives. The total contents of phenolic acids before and after stabilisation were not significantly different. This study showed the possibility of using tempering–preservation as an efficient method for inactivation of wheat bran lipase while maintaining its phenolic compounds, which could be used in the production of whole wheat flour.     

Deformation behaviour of iron-doped alumina

Compressive creep tests in air were carried out on 1 cat.% Fe-doped alumina at a temperature T=1400 °C. Iron doping affected the plastic deformation by different ways in relation with Fe²⁺ cations population. Fe²⁺ cations sped up the deformation rates. FeAl₂O₄ spinel precipitates were identified and they were found (i) to interact with alumina grain boundaries (ii) to limit the grain growth within a range of strain. The Fe²⁺ cations underwent oxidation and this resulted in the dissolution of the some precipitates and in the decrease of deformation rates. It was suggested that deformation sped up this evolution through mass transport and that time was not a dominating parameter.     

Gurum Seeds: A Potential Source of Edible Oil

Cucurbitaceae family seeds are mostly discarded as agro-industrial wastes. Gurum (Citrullus lanatus var. colocynthoide) is an underutilized wild cucurbit plant, closely related to desert watermelon, which is grown abundantly in some African countries. Gurum seeds can play a significant role in health and nutrition due to their high oil content. This review describes the nutritional composition of gurum seeds and their oil profile. Gurum seeds are a good source of oil (27–35.5%), fiber (26–31%), crude protein (15–18%), and carbohydrates (14–17%). Gurum seeds oil is extracted by supercritical CO₂ (SFE), screw press, and solvent extraction techniques. The gurum seeds oil is composed of unsaturated fatty acids with a high proportion of linoleic acid (C18:2) and oleic acid (C18:1). Gurum seeds oil contains various bioactive compounds, such as tocopherols, phytosterols, and polyphenols. It is reported that solvent extraction gives a higher yield than the screw press and SFE, but the SFE is preferred due to safety issues. More studies are required for producing better quality gurum seeds oil by using novel extraction techniques that can increase oil yield.     

A comprehensive approach to evaluating watershed models for predicting river flow regimes critical to downstream ecosystem services

Selection of strategies that help reduce riverine inputs requires numerical models that accurately quantify hydrologic processes. While numerous models exist, information on how to evaluate and select the most robust models is limited. Toward this end, we developed a comprehensive approach that helps evaluate watershed models in their ability to simulate flow regimes critical to downstream ecosystem services. We demonstrated the method using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), the Hydrological Simulation Program–FORTRAN (HSPF) model, and Distributed Large Basin Runoff Model (DLBRM) applied to the Maumee River Basin (USA). The approach helped in identifying that each model simulated flows within acceptable ranges. However, each was limited in its ability to simulate flows triggered by extreme weather events, owing to algorithms not being optimized for such events and mismatched physiographic watershed conditions. Ultimately, we found HSPF to best predict river flow, whereas SWAT offered the most flexibility for evaluating agricultural management practices.     

海参肠自溶水解物抗氧化活性的研究

为了提高海参肠的利用率,利用海参自溶技术制备海参肠自溶水解物.分析了自溶水解物的分子质量分布范围和氨基酸组成,并通过体外化学模拟体系测定其1,1-二苯基-2-三硝基苯肼(DPPH·)清除能力、Fe2+螯合能力和还原能力.结果表明,海参肠自溶水解物主要由分子质量小于3 ku的组分组成,含有17种氨基酸,其具有一定的DPP...