Supercritical fluid extraction of daphne (Laurus nobilis L.) seed oil

Laurus nobilis L., commonly known as daphne tree, is an evergreen that belongs to the Lauraceae family. Daphne trees produce grape-sized shiny purplish berries having three parts: flesh, skin, and an inner kernel (single seed). This study examines supercritical CO₂ (SC-CO₂) extraction of oil from daphne seeds. The oil yield of ground seeds varied from 14 to 28% depending on the method and particle size used for oil recovery. Yields were similar for both petroleum ether and SC-CO₂ extraction. The extraction yield decreased significantly with increasing particle size. The amount of extract collected increased exponentially with increasing SC-CO₂ pressure. The highest extraction yield was obtained at the highest temperature studied, 75°C. More than 45% of the oil was lauric acid. SC-CO₂ is a viable technique to obtain high-purity L. nobilis L. seed oil, which is a potential ingredient for the cosmetic industry.     

Antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of procyanidins extracted from laurel wood against a selection of foodborne microorganisms

This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of two procyanidins isolated from an ethyl acetate extract of laurel wood against a selection of foodborne pathogens. The analysis of the extract by HPLC–DAD/ESI–MS allowed us to detect the presence of two procyanidins, which were selectively isolated and identified by chromatographic and spectroscopic means as cinnamtannin B‐1 ( 1 ) and procyanidin B‐2 ( 2 ). Procyanidins 1 and 2 exhibited two biological activities: inhibition of bacterial growth at high concentrations and prevention of biofilm formation at lower concentrations. Synergistic effect was also detected when both compounds were tested in combination against Listeria monocytogenes. Significant effects were also detected on disruption of preformed biofilm. The ability of procyanidins to inhibit microbial growth and biofilm formation and to synergistically work with each other may stimulate a market as natural food preservatives, and/or natural sanitisers for processing equipment where foodborne pathogens reside.     

Cold shock in fish: its characteristics in bighead

A strong cold shock effect was demonstrated in bighead, and this was contrasted with the absence of any such effect in rainbow trout. The influence of chilling temperature and delayed icing on this effect was investigated. Bighead exhibited only weak rigor, which could be distinguished from the profound stiffening that followed icing. The degree of cold shock was similar when fish were chilled to 0, 2, 5 and 11°C, but the effect was not observed at 15 or 30°C. Bighead that were allowed to remain at ambient temperature before icing exhibited less pronounced stiffening when iced; the longer these periods at ambient temperature, the less rigid the fish became when iced. Fish allowed to enter rigor showed no increase in stiffness when subsequently iced.     

油炸鳙鱼头加工及其保藏性的研究

研究了油炸鳙鱼头的加工工艺,对保藏期间鳙鱼头的感官指标、菌落总数和挥发性盐基氮数值的变化进行了观察和检测,评价了不同保藏条件对油炸鳙鱼头货架期的影响.实验结果表明:采用油炸工艺、真空包装并结合适当低温贮藏能使产品的货架期达到90d.     

东洞庭湖鲢鱼和鳙鱼中重金属富集差异分析

为分析东洞庭湖水体中重金属污染情况以及鲢鳙鱼间重金属富集存在的差异性,测定东洞庭湖沉积物以及鲢鱼和鳙鱼不同组织中5种重金属(Cr、Cu、Cd、Pb和Hg)的含量。结果显示,沉积物中Cr的含量低于国家一级土壤标准限值,Cu、Pb和Hg低于二级土壤标准限值,Cd的含量是国家三级土壤环境标准值的6倍;鲢鱼和鳙鱼中重金属的分布排序均为Cr:鳃肝脑肉,Cu:肝脑鳃肉,Cd:肝鳃脑肉,Pb:鳃肝肉脑,Hg:肉肝脑鳃;根据鱼类的生物-沉积物富集因子,相比Cr和Pb,鲢鱼和鳙鱼都更易富集Cu、Cd和Hg,而鲢鱼比鳙鱼更易富集Cd,鳙鱼比鲢鱼更易富集Hg;另外,鲢鱼和鳙鱼肝脏中Cd的含量超出行业标准限量,其它组织中重金属均未超标。表明东洞庭湖中Cd的污染最为严重;不同鱼类对重金属的富集确实存在差异性,不同组织对同一重金属的富集能力也存在显著差异;相比较鱼鳃和肝脏,鱼肉和鱼脑对重金属的亲和能力较弱。     

Extraction of Essential Oil from Laurel Leaves by Using Microwaves

Abstract

The effects of microwave power and time in solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME) on the yield and composition of the essential oil obtained from laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) leaves were studied. The extraction was also performed by hydrodistillation as a control. Specific gravities and refractive indices of the essential oils obtained by different methods and at various conditions were also examined. The main constituent of laurel essential oil was 1,8-cineole (630–730 mg/mL). Essential oils obtained by SFME and hydrodistillation were comparable with respect to both yield and composition while the process time was reduced by 55–60% when SFME was used.     

Supercritical fluid extraction of antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds from Laurus nobilis L. Chemical and functional characterization

Extraction of laurel leaves by using supercritical carbon dioxide was carried out on a supercritical fluid (SF) pilot-scale plant. The extraction pressure and temperature were set to 250 bar and 60°C, respectively, using a 4% of ethanol as modifier. The employed apparatus, owing to a two-stage separation, allowed us to obtain two different fractions (F1 and F2), whose antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were investigated. Two different methods, β-carotene bleaching test and DPPH^• free radical–scavenging assay, were carried out to determine the antioxidant activity. Moreover, antimicrobial activity of laurel fractions was tested against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145, Escherichia coli ATCC 11775, Candida albicans ATCC 60193 and Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal and fungicidal concentration (MBC) were obtained. Both fractions showed a similar antioxidant activity, although it was slightly higher for the fraction recovered in separator 2. However, antimicrobial activity against the microorganisms tested was only found when fraction 2 was used. Staphylococcus aureus was the most sensitive microorganism to this fraction, with maximal inhibition zones (25 mm) and the lowest MBC values (1.25 mg/ml), whereas the least susceptible was the fungi Aspergillus niger. In order to determine the compounds responsible for the antimicrobial activity, fraction 2 was analysed by GC–MS; results obtained showed that most of the compounds identified in the supercritical extract have been previously described to show antimicrobial activity; among them, the major compound found in the supercritical extract corresponded to a sesquiterpene lactone of the germacrolide type (6-epi-desacetyllaurenobiolide) previously described in laurel.     

Evaluation of the Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of the Peel Oil of Citrus nobilis

Peel oil of Citrus nobilis (Lour) was analyzed for determining its chemical composition. Fourteen identified components accounted for 99.1% (GC) and 100.0% (FID) of the total oil. Major component of the oil was limonene (76.8%-GC and 86.2%-FID). Essential oil was also evaluated for its antioxidant activity in four complementary test systems namely; β-carotene/linoleic acid, DPPH radical scavenging, reducing power and metal chelating activities. In the first system, antioxidant activity increased with the increasing concentration. At 20.0 mg.ml^?1 concentration, antioxidant property of the oil was 96.8% ± 0.2 and as strong as the positive controls BHT and α-tocopherol. Scavenging effect of the oil was superior to the positive controls BHT and α-tocopherol at 1.5 mg.ml^?1 concentration (96.4% ± 0.1). Reducing power and chelating effect of the essential oil increased with the increasing concentration.     

黑乳参多糖的分离和组成鉴定

通过木瓜蛋白酶酶解方法从黑乳参中提取粗多糖,再经H2O2脱色、乙酸钾除蛋白、柱层析后等程序后得到精制的酸性黏多糖。琼脂糖凝胶电泳试验表明该多糖为单一成分,经GPC法测定重均分子量为76008Da。黑乳参黏多糖中硫酸基、葡萄糖醛酸、氨基半乳糖、岩藻糖含量分别为28.08%、20.71%、15.38%、12.48%。     

Sensory analysis and fruiting bodies characterisation of the edible mushrooms Pleurotus ostreatus and Polyporus tenuiculus obtained on leaf waste from the essential oil production industry

The present investigation aims to examine if waste from the essential oil industry (Laurus nobilis and Eucalyptus cinnerea) can modify the sensory attributes of dried Pleurotus ostreatus and Polyporus tenuiculus. Moreover, the conversion percentage from dry substrate weight to fresh mushroom weight (biological efficiency) and fresh fruiting body characterisation were evaluated. It was possible to obtain fruiting bodies in both aromatic substrates. This study demonstrated that the substrate composition had effects on the sensory and quality characteristics of the mushrooms. The use of aromatic plant wastes increased the intensities of the brown colour, sour, ‘mushroom’ flavour and springiness, and decreased the intensities of the bitterness and hardness. In addition, significant differences between species were observed. Pleurotus ostreatus had the highest ‘mushroom’ flavour, pungency and sour intensities, and P. tenuiculus was recognised for its cereal flavour, hardness, fibrous texture and springiness.