Extract of Salicornia europaea in fresh pasta to enhance phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity

Extract from Salicornia europaea was added to durum wheat fresh pasta. Sensory properties, cooking quality, microbiological stability, content in bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity, before and after pasta digestion were studied. The extract was obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction. From the technological point of view the extract did not affect pasta dough and the cooking parameters and sensory properties of the enriched samples were found similar to the control pasta. No antimicrobial effect was exerted by the extract. From the chemical point of view interesting findings were recorded for pasta before and after digestion. Specifically, data of bioaccessible fraction of digested sample showed a significantly higher amount of total phenols and flavonoid content (11.52 mg gallic acid g⁻¹ and 0.55 mg quercetin g⁻¹ respectively) than digested control pasta (9.54 mg gallic acid g⁻¹ and 0.23 mg quercetin g⁻¹ respectively). The antioxidant activity of enriched sample also increased compared to the control pasta (6.20 vs. 2.50 μmoles FeSO₄ g⁻¹).     

Ultrasound-promoted one-pot four-component synthesis of novel biologically active 3-aryl-2,4-dithioxo-1,3,5-triazepane-6,7-dione and their toxicity investigation

We have described a novel four-component reaction (4MCR) between oxalyl chloride 1, anilines 2a–h, and two molecules of ammonium thiocyanate 3 in acetone under ultrasound irradiation to give 3-aryl-2,4-dithioxo-1,3,5-triazepane-6,7-diones. A synthetically useful ultrasound effect was observed and title products were obtained in high yields after 15–35?min sonication. Our procedure compared to the conventional heating method has the benefit of higher reaction yields and shorter reaction times. The IR spectra showed the presence of N–H, C═O and C═S groups in these compounds and ¹H, ¹³C NMR and Mass spectral results verified their structures. Cellular investigations showed that these compounds are toxic toward cancer cells.     

含酯键和烷氧基胺的两亲性嵌段聚合物胶束的制备及聚焦超声响应行为

以聚乙二醇单甲醚(m PEG)为亲水段,聚丙二醇单丁醚(PPG)为疏水段,用酯键(COO)和烷氧基胺(CON)将它们连接在一起制得了两亲性嵌段聚合物PEG-COO-CON-HDI-PPG。采用核磁共振氢谱对产物的结构进行了表征。通过选择性溶剂诱导法制备了嵌段聚合物胶束,研究了聚合物胶束在高强度聚焦超声(HIFU)下的响应行为。结果表明,超声可使烷氧基胺均裂和酯键水解;用该胶束包覆药物,可以实现对药物的超声控制释放。     

TIO2/Nanoclay nanocomposite for phenol degradation in sonophotocatalytic reactor

A TiO₂–nanoclay nanocomposite was used as a photocatalyst for the degradation of phenol in presence of acoustic cavitation. TiO₂–nanoclay nanocomposite was synthesised in benzyl alcohol medium wherein TiO₂ nanoparticles were formed between the nanoclay platelets. The synthesised product was characterised by using FTIR, XRD and TEM techniques. TEM image shows that TiO₂–nanoclay nanocomposite particles were in the range of 30–40 nm. XRD gram confirms the formation of nanocomposite of TiO₂ nanoclay. The effect of cavitation and TiO₂–nanoclay nanocomposite photocatalyst on phenol removal was investigated. The effects of various parameters such as nanocomposite loading, initial concentration, etc., have been studied. On comparing the results obtained with that of nanocomposite without UV, it was found for an initial concentration of 500 mg/L of phenol, the TiO₂–nanoclay nanocomposite exhibited higher percentage of pollutant removal (59%) and for nanoclay it was 47%. © 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering     

Comparison of enzyme‐assisted and ultrasound‐assisted extraction of vitamin C and phenolic compounds from acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC.) fruit

This article describes a comparative study of enzyme and ultrasound techniques for the simultaneous extraction of vitamin C and phenolic compounds from acerola fruit. Ultrasound‐assisted extraction (UAE) took only 6 min to achieve the highest level of vitamin C and phenolic compounds as well as antioxidant activity of acerola juice, while enzyme‐assisted extraction (EAE) took up to 120 min to obtain the maximal values. On the basis of kinetic model of second‐order extraction, the extraction rate constant of vitamin C and phenolics in UAE increased approximately 3.1 and 2.7 times, respectively, in comparison with that in EAE. In addition, the maximal level of vitamin C, phenolics and the antioxidant activity evaluated by 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and 2,2′‐azinobis‐(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulphonic acid) (ABTS) methods in UAE was 4.6%, 3.5%, 4.6% and 3.3%, respectively, higher than those in EAE. Obviously, UAE is a useful method for the extraction of antioxidants from plant materials.     

Nanoemulsions containing octyl methoxycinnamate and solid particles of TiO2: preparation,characterization and in vitro evaluation of the solar protection factor

The objective of this work was to develop and evaluate the physical–chemical properties of oil-in-water nanoemulsions for application as nanocosmetics for sun protection. Oil-in-water dispersions were processed by ultrasound (US) to obtain small emulsion droplets. These emulsions were obtained in the presence of commercial nonionic surfactants based on polyoxides and avocado oil as the oil phase. The US generated small but unstable droplets. This problem was solved by using a different surfactant, with a longer ethylene oxide chain, able to promote stabilization by steric mechanisms. The light scattering technique was used to characterize the nanoemulsions by their dispersed droplets’ size, size distribution and variation of distribution with time (stability). Chemical and physical sunscreens – octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂), respectively – were added to the stable system. The anti-UVB activity of the nanoemulsions and their components were evaluated by the method of Mansur et al. (1986) and spectral transmittance. The solar protection factor (SPF) was proportional to the OMC and TiO₂ concentrations. The in vitro OMC release was evaluated, and the presence of TiO₂ in the nanoemulsion did not affect the release profile, which showed the diffusion-dependent kinetics of the active ingredient in the formulation.     

A simplified UTV hand tool featuring 2.25 MHz transducers to measure the BMD of calcaneus—tested on acrylic blocks padded with fresh porcine tissue

The quantitative use of UTV (Ultrasound Transmission Velocity) on the calcaneus (i.e., the heel bone) to assess osteoporosis has been widely used in clinical practice and investigation. However, most existing commercial instruments are bulky and the measurement is largely under the assumption that the thickness of the heel bone is fixed. Moreover, present measuring techniques are unable to cope with the effects of covering soft tissue, thus are incapable of producing accurate results. This study proposes a simplified UTV hand tool. We mount two 2.25 MHz ultrasonic transducers on an industrial vernier caliper and test it on some acrylic testing blocks padded with fresh porcine tissue to simulate the human heel. From the responses obtained, we develop a way to eliminate the influences made by the accompanying soft tissue. Thus, more accurate UTV hand tool for the acrylic block, or the heel bone, can be derived. In our final tests, the error of UTV measurement drops to 1.98%.     

Optimisation and modelling green bean's ultrasound blanching

Using of ultrasound in food processing is a novel and interesting technique, which is often complementary to classical methods. This study reports on the ultrasound blanching (USB) of green bean. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to study the effect of process variables on the USB. Three independent variables including temperature (50–90 °C), time (45–225 s) and duty cycle (0.2–0.8 s) were examined. The optimal USB conditions were obtained with a temperature of 90 °C, USB time of 58.27 s and duty cycle of 0.79 s. At these conditions, the residual peroxidase activity (RPA) determined as 9.64% and the vitamin C loss as 8.92%. The experimental values under optimal condition were in good consistent with the predicted values. According to the results, the USB process is more efficient process and as well as less damage to the product compared to the conventional blanching method.     

Influence of high power ultrasound on physical–chemical properties of polypropylene films aimed for food packaging: barrier and contact angle features

Investigation was focused on the impact of high power ultrasound (HPUS), also called thermosonication, on the oxygen permeation properties (permeability, solubility and diffusion coefficients) of barrier films aimed for food packaging. For this purpose, biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) coated with acrylic/polyvinylidene chloride (BOPPAcPVDC) and biaxially oriented coextruded polypropylene (BOPPcoex) were used. The physical–chemical profile of the samples was determined using goniometry. There is a significant impact only of extreme HPUS conditions (the longest time and the highest amplitude) on the permeability, solubility and diffusion coefficients of oxygen through the BOPP films. The highest influence on the oxygen permeability in both investigated BOPP samples involved an HPUS with an amplitude of 100% during a 6 min treatment. However, BOPP samples showed different sensitivities at lower HPUS treatments. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry