Novel biodegradable form stable phase change materials: Blends of poly(ethylene oxide) and gelatinized potato starch

Novel biodegradable form stable phase change materials were obtained in a process involving potato starch gelatinization in water/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) solution. DSC and microscopic investigations revealed that the presence of the starch considerably changes PEO phase transition behavior–in the blends solid–solid phase transition for PEO/starch 1 : 3 and 1 : 1 w/w has been observed; for PEO/starch blend 3 : 1 w/w solid–solid phase transition with a partial melting of PEO unbounded through hydrogen bonds with starch has been detected. The heat of phase transition depends on the strength of hydrogen bonds between PEO and starch. The intermolecular interactions were evidenced by FTIR analysis, which showed considerably shift of the stretching vibration bands of both the O? H group (proton‐donor group) from starch and PEO. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Influence of the isolation procedure on the characteristics of fiber-rich products obtained from quince wastes

The upgrading potential of quince (Cydonia oblonga Miller) wastes was evaluated for production of fiber-rich powders with useful functional and physiological properties. As a first approach, three products were obtained by applying different drying conditions without or with a previous extraction either with water or ethanol. Chemical compositions as well as physical and functional properties of the isolated fractions were evaluated in relation to water or oil absorption for characterization. The products obtained presented interesting hydration properties comparable to those reported for citrus and apple pulps. At the same time, all dried fractions showed high spontaneous water absorption rate in the kinetics assay. Oil absorption seemed to essentially depend on the microstructural characteristics of the fiber powders, whereas parameters involving water absorption were really determined by the material’s hydrophilicity. Specific volume, which was also in part a direct function of structural differences, was associated to the ability for oil uptake.     

Anticoagulant, Antioxidant and Antitumor Activities of Heterofucans from the Seaweed Dictyopteris delicatula

In the present study, six families of sulfated polysaccharides were obtained from seaweed Dictyopteris delicatula by proteolytic digestion, followed by acetone fractionation and molecular sieving on Sephadex G-100. Chemical analyses demonstrated that all polysaccharides contain heterofucans composed mainly of fucose, xylose, glucose, galactose, uronic acid, and sulfate. The fucans F0.5v and F0.7v at 1.0 mg/mL showed high ferric chelating activity (～45%), whereas fucans F1.3v (0.5 mg/mL) showed considerable reducing power, about 53.2% of the activity of vitamin C. The fucan F1.5v presented the most prominent anticoagulant activity. The best antiproliferative activity was found with fucans F1.3v and F0.7v. However, F1.3v activity was much higher than F0.7v inhibiting almost 100% of HeLa cell proliferation. These fucans have been selected for further studies on structural characterization as well as in vivo experiments, which are already in progress.     

酸法提取仙人掌多糖工艺

为探索适合产业化的仙人掌多糖(Opuntia dillenii Haw.polysaccharides,ODPs)提取工艺,采用单因素及正交试验优化酸法提取ODPs条件;优化的苯酚硫酸法测定ODPs得率及含量;并用酶法结合盐酸法除蛋白,经透析,洗涤得到精制的ODPs。得到酸法提取ODPs最佳条件为:加入浓度为0.10 mol/L的硫酸溶液,液料比为20∶1(mL/g),70℃提取2次,每次2 h。平均产率达39.92%,多糖纯度达87.11%,多糖中蛋白含量降低至1.06%。     

Air analysis in the assessment of fumonisin contamination risk in maize

BACKGROUND: In maize‐growing areas where fumonisin contamination is endemic, there is an urgent need for novel methods to assess the quality of grain lots before their delivery to common drying and storage collection centres. Aerobiological samples of fungal spores released during harvest were analysed to establish a relationship between fumonisin contamination and the abundance of pathogen propagules collected in the combine harvester using a cyclone and membrane filters. Filter‐captured propagules were analysed by direct plating, immunoenzymatic assay of specific Fusarium extracellular polysaccharides and real time polymerase chain reaction of the extracted DNA using fum1, a gene involved in the biosynthesis of fumonisin, as a target. RESULTS: The results showed that time of harvest and environmental conditions strongly influenced the efficiency and performance of the collection system. The data obtained were informative in comparing individual samples collected under similar conditions. The immunoenzymatic assay provided the most reliable data, which improved the ability of a neural network to predict the fumonisin content of lots, when added to agronomic, environmental and phytosanitary data. CONCLUSION: This is the first attempt to evaluate the Fusarium propagules dispersed during harvesting as a predictive means to assess maize quality. A method based on cyclone/filter capture and immunological detection has been shown to be feasible and to have the potential for the development of a continuous monitoring system, but the prediction capabilities in the present implementation were limited. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Preliminary studies on microbial polysaccharides from different Penicillium species as flavour stabiliser in cloudy apple juice

This research deals with the production of water‐soluble polysaccharides from six polysaccharide‐producing Penicillium species. Eup. pinetorum ATCC 14770 was promising for exo‐ and endopolysaccharides production under various cultural conditions. pH 5.0, 7 days, and pH 8.0, 10 days, were the optimum for the production of exo‐ and endopolysaccharides, respectively, at 30 °C in medium containing glucose and peptone. HPLC results revealed that both polysaccharides were composed of pectin, cellulose and hemicellulose. Exopolysaccharides produced by Eup. pinetorum was subjected to evaluation as a natural flavour stabiliser in cloudy apple juice (CAJ). Twenty‐one volatile compounds classified into esters, aldehydes, alcohols and ketone were detected, only eighteen compounds of which were characterised by their odours threshold. The esters and alcohols are accounting for 87.64% and 5.44% of total volatiles, respectively. This study indicates that the use of exopolysaccharides as an alternative flavour stabiliser in CAJ is very promising.     

Structural characterisation and determination of prebiotic activity of purified xylo-oligosaccharides obtained from Bengal gram husk (Cicer arietinum L.) and wheat bran (Triticum aestivum)

Water extractable polysaccharides (WEPs) were isolated from Bengal gram husk and wheat bran. These WEP were subjected to driselase enzyme hydrolysis to obtain oligosaccharide mixtures, which were purified successively on Biogel P-2 and high performance liquid chromatographies. The molecular weight and structural features of the purified oligosaccharides were deduced using ESI-MS and ¹H NMR, respectively. The prebiotic properties of these purified oligosaccharides were studied by using Bifidobacterium adolescentis NDRI 236. Increase in dry cell mass (0.7–0.9 mg/ml) and decrease in pH (<5.8) due to production of short chain fatty acid (SCFA) indicated oligosaccharide fermentation. Acetate was the chief SCFA produced and its amount varied from 97.2% to 100%. The activities of xylanase (257–470 mU/ml), xylopyranosidase (53–60 mU/ml) and arabinofuranosidase (60–70 mU/ml) in the culture broth indicated the breakdown of xylo-oligosaccharides and their subsequent utilisation by the bacterium for its growth.     

Preparation of a C6 quaternary ammonium chitosan derivative through a chitosan schiff base with click chemistry

In this study, we explored a new method for preparing C₆ quaternary ammonium chitosan (CTS) derivatives. The C₂? NH₂ of CTS was first protected by benzaldehyde. The C₆? OH of CTS was then transformed into a sulfonyl ester, which was then reacted with NaN₃ through nucleophilic substitution to introduce the ? N₃ group at the CTS C₆ position. This intermediate was reacted in a click chemistry reaction with a terminal alkynyl quaternary ammonium salt; this was followed by the deprotection of C₂? NH₂ with acid to furnish the C₆ quaternary ammonium CTS derivative. The structures and properties of synthesized products in the reactions were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, NMR, X‐ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. The effects of the reaction conditions on the degree of Schiff‐base CTS quaternization were evaluated by elemental analysis. The largest inhibition zone test and the minimum inhibitory concentration test showed that compared with CTS, the prepared CTS derivative had significantly improved antibacterial activity toward Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

The influence of wine polymers on the spontaneous precipitation of calcium tartrate in a model wine solution

The influence of wine polymers on the spontaneous precipitation of calcium tartrate in a model wine system has been examined. Rhamnogalacturonan‐I was identified as the most effective inhibitor (precipitation induction time of 180 min compared with 7 min for the standard model). It is argued that this is a consequence of rhamnogalacturonan‐I's ability to participate in the ‘egg‐box’ type sequestration of calcium ions. The more structurally complex rhamnogalacturonan‐II had only a minor influence on the induction time (22 min). Arabinogalactan proteins and mannoproteins also have little influence with induction times ranging from 12 to 15 min. An ultra‐filtration study of four Chardonnay wines, prepared with and without the use of pectolytic enzymes, was performed in a search for conditions that might maximise the concentration of rhamnogalacturonan‐I. However, rhamnogalacturonan‐I could not be identified in any of the four wines. Implications of these observations, specifically the need to understand the inhibition exerted by specific uronic acids, for winemaking and calcium tartrate precipitation are discussed.     

Influence of the molecular weight of chitosan on the spinnability of chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) blend nanofibers

The electrospinning of the biopolymer chitosan (CS) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was investigated with 90% acetic acid as the solvent and with different CS/PVA ratios. The long chains of high‐molecular‐weight CS prevented it from forming nanofibers in a high‐voltage field. The treatment of CS under high‐temperature alkali conditions reduced its molecular weight exponentially with the treatment time and caused a reduction of the viscosity consequently. PVA, acting as a plasticizer and accompanied by the alkali‐treated CS of lower viscosity, made the electrospinning of CS/PVA blends possible. The effects of the duration of the alkali treatment on the molecular weight of CS and its viscosity were investigated and optimized. The diameter of the bicomponent nanofiber decreased proportionally with the increase in the CS portion, whereas the surface porosity increased inversely. Fourier transform infrared studies illustrated that the alkali treatment or blending of CS with PVA had no effect on its chemical nature. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009