Steam gasification of biochars derived from pruned apple branch with various pyrolysis temperatures

In this study, the gas production behavior from the steam gasification of the biochar derived from the pruned apple brunch was investigated using a fixed-bed reactor. The optimal biochar obtained at the pyrolysis temperature of 550 °C was gasified under different operating conditions for the hydrogen rich gas production. The experimental results indicated that high reaction temperature and high water flow rate were both beneficial to the hydrogen gas yield, but excess steam had a negative impact contrarily. Besides, the small size particles (0.5–1.0 mm) showed better performance in the hydrogen gas production at the low water flow rates (0.05–0.20 g/min); while the large size particles (1.0–2.8 mm) showed better performance at the high water flow rates (0.25–0.30 g/min). The suitable operating conditions for the gasification of the biochar were determined as the reaction temperature of 850 °C, water flow rate of 0.25 g/min, and particle size of 1.0–2.8 mm.     

Diversity of polyphenols in the peel of apple (Malus sp.) germplasm from different countries of origin

This study investigated ten polyphenolic compounds in the peel of 145 apple cultivars grown in the same location while originated from different countries over two successive years. Despite significant year effect of individual and total polyphenol concentrations on each cultivar, both concentrations showed similar distributions in the 2 years, and genotypic correlations among them were relatively stable. Genotypic variations were considerable, with total polyphenol concentration ranging from 363.9 to 2516.9 μg g^?1 FW. Cyanidin‐3‐galactoside was found only in red apple peels, at levels of 67.8–371.6 μg g^?1 FW. Flavanols (epicatechin and catechin) and dihydrochalcones (mainly phloridzin) accounted for 8.8–66.1% and 8.58–61.2% of total polyphenols, respectively. Six flavonols (quercetin‐3‐galactoside, quercetin‐3‐glucoside, quercetin‐3‐rhamnoside, quercetin‐3‐xyloside, quercetin‐3‐arabinoside, and quercetin‐3‐rhamnoglucoside) were identified. The proportion of flavonols was 9.3–70.6% of total polyphenols. This wide variation could help in selecting cultivars with different polyphenol patterns in the peel. Principal component analysis showed that cultivars originated from different countries could not be distinguished in terms of polyphenol profiles.     

苹果多酚功能及其作用机理的研究进展

大量研究表明苹果多酚将是重要的食品和药品添加剂,其很多功能性优于其他多酚。苹果多酚的抗氧化、抗癌、降血压、预防心脏病、抗龋齿、抗过敏、抗病毒等功能性已经被人们认可,但部分功能性的作用机理还并不十分明确,有待研究。介绍近年来关于苹果多酚几种重要生理功能的研究进展以及一些功能性作用机理的推断。     

Development of Polyclonal Antibody‐Based Indirect Enzyme‐Linked Immunosorbent Assay for the Detection of Alicyclobacillus Strains in Apple Juice

Abstract: A sort of specific polyclonal anti‐Alicyclobacillus antibody was generated by immunizing New Zealand white rabbits, and a sensitive indirect enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for Alicyclobacillus detection in apple juice. A set of experimental parameters such as concentration of antigen, dilutions of the antibody and goat anti‐rabbit IgG‐horseradish peroxidase conjugate, selection of the blocking reagent, incubation time, and temperature was optimized. The cross‐reactivity of the antibody was evaluated by ELISA and the result was consistent with Western blot analysis. The detection limit of the ELISA was about 10⁵ colony forming units (CFU)/mL in apple juice samples. Samples were detected by ELISA and conventional culture method, and the ELISA results gave a good agreement with the results obtained by plating on Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris medium agar. ELISA takes a total detection time of 6 to 7 h, which is less than the time of conventional techniques requiring more than 24 to 48 h. These results indicated that the established ELISA was a potential useful analytical method for detection of Alicyclobacillus in apple juice.