Enzymatic acylation of isoorientin isolated from antioxidant of bamboo leaves with palmitic acid and antiradical activity of the acylated derivatives

The utilization of bamboo-leaf extracts is limited by their weak solubility in lipidic media. As such, this study established an effective and relatively cheap method for preparation of ester of isoorientin isolated from bamboo-leaf extracts. Acylation of isoorientin with palmitic acid was efficient in a system containing dried tert-amyl alcohol and molecular sieves, yielding from 22 to 90 % bioconversion with different conditions; in detail, several factors (the origin and the amount of the lipase, temperature and water content of the system) were investigated in depth with the effect on the performance of the acylation reaction in this paper. Thereafter high purity ester (95 %) was obtained following a two-step solvent purification procedure and a chromatographic separation. With ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis, single product was detected to be 6″-O-palmitate isoorientin ester. Introducing an acyl group into isoorientin significantly improved its lipophilicity yet slightly reduced their antioxidant activity.     

Making soy sauce using direct fermentation of defatted soybean meal without the meju (soybean Koji) preparation process

Soy sauce prepared via direct fermentation of defatted soybean meal (DFSM) using halophiles without addition of dried, fermented soybeans or meju was evaluated. DFSM was fermented using single and mixed cultures of Oceanobacillus kimchii and Bacillus pumilus under 18% salinity conditions. Amounts of total organic nitrogen, free amino acids, and organic acids in soy sauce prepared with the mixed culture were slightly higher than sauces prepared with single culture. The ingredient content was higher in soy sauce prepared via direct fermentation of DFSM than soy sauce prepared with meju. Microorganisms detected in DFSM fermentation were not detected in the meju culture, except for the 2 halophiles, based on metagenomic analysis. Direct fermentation of DFSM is better than using meju for preparation of soy sauce.     

Chemical Composition of the Potato as Affected by the Herbicide, Metribuzin: Enzymatic Discoloration, Phenols and Ascorbic Acid Content

The effect of metribuzin (herbicide) applications at pre-emergence (Tr. 1) and pre- and post-emergence (Tr. 2) stages on enzymatic discoloration, phenolic and ascorbic acid contents of Katahdin, Lemhi Russet and Hampton cultivars was investigated. In all the three cultivars Tr. 1 resulted in significantly (p < 0.05) lower phenolic content and enzymatic discoloration and significantly (p < 0.05) higher ascorbic acid than the controls. Tubers from plants receiving Tr. 2 had significantly (p < 0.05) higher phenolic content, enzymatic discoloration and ascorbic acid than Tr. 1. Tubers from Tr. 2 had significantly (p < 0.05) higher ascorbic acid than the controls but did not differ significantly in phenolic content and enzymatic discoloration from the controls. After a storage of 5 months, controls had the highest phenolic content and enzymatic discoloration followed by Tr. 1 and Tr. 2 for two of the three cultivars. Tr. 2 resulted in a retardation of phenol synthesis during storage.     

Researches on the utilisation of the pigment fromPhytolacca decandra L. as a food colorant: Part 1—preparation of an extract free from toxic substances

The problems examined in this paper concern the extraction of the pigment from the berries of the American PokeberryPhytolacca decandra (americana) L., which contain a large quantity of red pigment, ‘Phytolaccanin’, a betacyanin identical to the Betanin of beetroot. A purification procedure was carried out which foresaw the removal of the toxic saponin present in the extract. The extraction was done by pressing juice from berries in two stages followed by separation and washing of residue.The raw pigment was purified, after removing the saponin by precipitation with sulphuric acid and following liquid-liquid partition with butanol and diethyl ether. A yield of 87% of phytolaccanin was achieved.     

Carbon isotopes as a tool to evaluate the origin and fate of vinyl chloride: laboratory experiments and modeling of isotope evolution

Accumulation of vinyl chloride (VC) is often a main concern at sites contaminated with chlorinated ethenes and ethanes due to its high toxicity. Since there can be several possible sources of VC and ethene at such sites, assessing the origin and fate of VC can be complicated. Aim of this study was to evaluate carbon isotope fractionation associated with various anaerobic processes that lead to the production of VC and ethene in view of using isotopes to evaluate the origin and fate of these compounds in groundwater. Microcosms were constructed using sediments and groundwater from a contaminated site and amended with potential precursors for VC and ethene production. In the microcosms with dichloroethene isomers, sequential reductive dechlorination was observed, and isotopic enrichmentfactors of -19.9 +/- 1.5 per thousand for cis-1,2-dichloroethene, -30.3 +/- 1.9 per thousand for trans-1,2-dichloroethene, and -7.3 +/- 0.4 per thousand for 1,1-dichloroethene were obtained. In microcosms with chlorinated ethanes, 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) and 1,1,2-trichloroethane (1,1,2-TCA) were predominantly transformed by dichloroelimination to ethene and VC, respectively, and enrichmentfactors of -32.1 +/- 1.1 per thousand for 1,2OCA and -2.0 +/- 0.2 per thousand for 1,1,2-TCA were observed. Except for 1,1,2-TCA, a strong 13C enrichment in each of the potential precursor of VC was observed, which opens the possibility to trace the origin of VC based on the isotope ratio of potential precursors. Furthermore, it was possible to model the isotope evolution of VC present as substrate or intermediate product as a function of time. The study demonstrates that carbon isotope ratios can potentially be used for qualitative and possibly quantitative evaluation of the origin and fate of VC at sites with complex contaminant mixtures.     

Disruption of the developing female reproductive system by phytoestrogens: genistein as an example

Studies in our laboratory have shown that exposure to genistein causes deleterious effects on the developing female reproductive system. Mice treated neonatally on days 1-5 by subcutaneous injection of genistein (0.5-50 mg/kg) exhibited altered ovarian differentiation leading to multioocyte follicles (MOFs) at 2 months of age. Ovarian function and estrous cyclicity were also disrupted by neonatal exposure to genistein with increasing severity observed over time. Reduced fertility was observed in mice treated with genistein (0.5, 5, or 25 mg/kg) and infertility was observed at 50 mg/kg. Mammary gland and behavioral endpoints were also affected by neonatal genistein treatment. Further, transgenerational effects were observed; female offspring obtained from breeding genistein treated females (25 mg/kg) to control males had increased MOFs. Thus, neonatal treatment with genistein at environmentally relevant doses caused adverse consequences on female development which is manifested in adulthood. Whether adverse effects occur in human infants exposed to soy-based products such as soy infant formulas is unknown but the neonatal murine model may help address some of the current uncertainties since we have shown that many effects obtained from feeding genistin, the glycosolated form of genistein found in soy formula, are similar to those obtained from injecting genistein.     

日本传统家具木作技术研究——以传统泡桐矮柜为例

技术是影响木家具形成与发展的重要因素。本文从用材、结构、工具等方面探讨了日本传统家具技术的演变,分析了一些技术变革对日本传统家具形成与发展的影响,并以泡桐矮柜为例对日本传统家具的工艺进行了剖析。     

Chemical-equilibrium-based model for describing the strength of sludge: taking hydrogen-producing sludge as an example

A new model, based on chemical equilibrium theory, was established to evaluate the strength of sludges in biological wastewater treatment systems. The effectiveness of this model was demonstrated by the experimental results with an anaerobic hydrogen-producing sludge. The equilibrium dispersed mass concentration of the primary particles in the sludge solution was found to nonlinearly increase with the solid content and shear intensity, and could be well described by the model. The Gibbs free energy of adhesion (deltaG degrees) under shear could also be calculated using this model. The equilibrium constant K degrees and deltaG degrees/ RTat a shear intensity of 800 1/s were estimated to be 6.54 +/- 0.12 and 1.88 +/- 0.02, respectively. The two parameters could be used to evaluate the strength of the hydrogen-producing sludge. In addition, the effectiveness of the established model was also confirmed by the results with activated sludge in the literature.     

Biogenic amine content of red Spanish wines: comparison of a direct ELISA and an HPLC method for the determination of histamine in wines

Biogenic amines were determined in 61 commercial red Spanish wines from various winemaking areas and elaborated with different vinification/ageing procedures. Biogenic amines (histamine, methylamine, ethylamine, tyramine, phenylethylamine, putrescine and cadaverine) analysis was carried out by RP-HPLC with o-phthaldialdehyde precolumn derivatization and fluorescence detection. Overall, histamine and putrescine were the most prevalent amines, being present in 75% and 71%, respectively, of the wines, followed by tyramine (56% of the wines). There were no significant differences between biogenic amine levels and ageing characteristics of the wines tested. Moreover, it was found that amines suspected to cause toxicological effects (histamine, tyramine and phenylethylamine) are no cause for concern in these Spanish wines as they are present in amounts well below the limit considered as physiological. A commercial competitive direct ELISA immunoassay method specific for the detection of histamine has also tested on these wines and the results were compared with the RP-HPLC method. Both methods showed a good agreement for histamine analysis of wines.     

Bioaccumulation of organochlorines in crows from an indian open waste dumping site: evidence for direct transfer of dioxin-like congeners from the contaminated soil

To assess the significance of waste dumping sites as a source of chemical contamination to ecosystems, we analyzed the residue levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other organochlorines in the breast muscle of crows from a dumping site in the south of Chennai city, South India. Crows from the dumping site contained significantly higher total TEQs (60 +/- 27 pg/g lipid wt) than those from the reference sites (26 +/- 18 pg/g lipid wt). Especially, certain dioxin-like coplanar PCB congeners (Co-PCBs), such as CB-77 and CB-105, whose source is commercial PCBs,were significantly higher in crows from the dumping site than those from the reference sites. Profiles of PCDDs/DFs and Co-PCBs in crows from the dumping site were similar to those of soil at the same site, which was confirmed by principal component analysis. Furthermore, significant positive correlations were obtained between the congener-specific bioconcentration factors (BCFs) of PCDDs/DFs estimated from concentrations in crows and soil from the dumping site and the theoretical BCFs calculated from water-particle and lipid-water partitioning coefficients. On the other hand, the estimated BCFs had significant negative correlations with the molecular weight of PCDDs/DFs, indicating that molecular size limits their bioaccumulation. These results suggest that dioxin-like congeners in the soil of the dumping site were transferred directly to the crows through the ingestion of on-site garbage contaminated with soil, rather than through trophic transfer in the ecosystem. The present study provides insight into the ecological impacts of dumping sites.     

历史服装与现代设计的融合--以唐代为例

分析唐代服装艺术特点以及唐代服装设计元素在现代服装设计中的具体应用,探索如何在尊重唐代服装艺术的基础上,创新地将唐代服装的美学特质融入现代服装设计中。     

华夏“酒道”,宜宾大源——从“中国酒都”之城市精神谈起

“酒道”者,乃酒的历史文化传承之道、生产酿造之道、酒物纯美之道、营运商贸之道、品饮鉴赏之道、生养长寿之道等之总括.“酒道”是与美醇琼酿白酒相关的“天道”、“地道”、“人道”和“物道”的和谐统一,“酒道”之真谛乃“和谐之道”.这与宜宾的城市精神——“诚信、包容、智慧、创新”和然契合,正所谓“酒道”大源壮宜宾,是历史发展的自然选择.     

Dynamic passive dosing for studying the biotransformation of hydrophobic organic chemicals: microbial degradation as an example

Biotransformation plays a key role in hydrophobic organic compound (HOC) fate, and understanding kinetics as a function of (bio)availability is critical for elucidating persistence, accumulation, and toxicity. Biotransformation mainly occurs in an aqueous environment, posing technical challenges for producing kinetic data because of low HOC solubilities and sorptive losses. To overcome these, a new experimental approach based on passive dosing is presented. This avoids using cosolvent for introducing the HOC substrate, buffers substrate depletion so biotransformation is measured within a narrow and defined dissolved concentration range, and enables high compound turnover even at low concentrations to simplify end point measurement. As a case study, the biodegradation kinetics of two model HOCs by the bacterium Sphingomonas paucimobilis EPA505 were measured at defined dissolved concentrations ranging over 4 orders of magnitude, from 0.017 to 658 μg L(-1) for phenanthrene and from 0.006 to 90.0 μg L(-1) for fluoranthene. Both compounds had similar mineralization fluxes, and these increased by 2 orders of magnitude with increasing dissolved concentrations. First-order mineralization rate constants were also similar for both PAHs, but decreased by around 2 orders of magnitude with increasing dissolved concentrations. Dynamic passive dosing is a useful tool for measuring biotransformation kinetics at realistically low and defined dissolved HOC concentrations.     

Improving the emulsifying property of potato protein by hydrolysis: an application as encapsulating agent with maltodextrin

Potato protein concentrate (PPC) is a by-product from starch industry and traditionally used as a low-value ingredient. Depending on its recovery/drying methods, protein functionality and technological applications can be compromised. Hydrolysis offers an alternative to this challenge by modifying protein structure, opening a prospect to find value-added opportunities for this residue. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of enzymatic hydrolysis on the emulsifying property of PPC. More importantly, we investigated the application of PPC with maltodextrin (proportion of 30:70) as wall material in the microencapsulation of a lipophilic ingredient by spray drying. When PPC was submitted to a 2% degree of hydrolysis, its emulsifying capacity significantly increased from 359 to 416 g oil/g protein. Spray drying microencapsulation using potato protein concentrate/hydrolysate and maltodextrin as wall materials were effective in entrapping flaxseed oil. Additionally, high encapsulation efficiency was observed (92– 96%). Overall, the application of potato protein combined with maltodextrin as wall material was successful for spray drying microencapsulation.     

Short communication: Decrease in rumination time as an indicator of the onset of calving

The aim of this study was to investigate whether rumination time (RT) is affected by the onset of calving. The relationship between both feeding time and dry matter intake (DMI) to the onset of calving was also examined. In addition, the correlation between feeding behavior characteristics, described here as RT, feeding time, and DMI, was evaluated. Under test conditions, the feeding behavior of pregnant Holstein cows was recorded from the time when they were moved into calving pens (usually 7 to 5 d prepartum) until the onset of calving. Feeding time and DMI were recorded by automatic feed bins; RT was measured continuously by a measuring halter based on electromyography (DairyCheck; BITSz Engineering GmbH, Zwickau, Germany), which constitutes a new approach regarding feeding behavior detection. Data analysis related to the final 72 h, before the onset of calving, which were divided into twelve 6-h blocks. The last 6 h (one 6-h block) before calving were compared with the 72- to 7-h time frame (11 times 6-h blocks) before calving, which was defined as the reference period. For this time period, feeding behavior data for 17 cows was fully available, which was the precondition for data analysis. In the final 6 h before imminent birth, RT was significantly reduced. During this time, it was found that the mean minimum RT was 69.9 ± 28.5 min/6 h compared with the mean RT of 95.5 ± 30.8 min/6 h in the reference period. The average decrease in RT was 27% (25.6 min/6 h). In addition, feeding time and DMI were significantly reduced. The average decrease in feeding time was 57% (20.8 min/6 h), and in DMI it was 56% (1.9 kg/6 h). High correlation coefficients between feeding behavior characteristics were only found between feeding time and DMI. Values of feeding behavior among cows were characterized by high variability. Recording RT can serve as a use ful tool for predicting the timing of birth for dairy cows, but further research is necessary.