Forward osmosis concentration of high viscous polysaccharides of Dendrobium officinale: Process optimisation and membrane fouling analysis

Polysaccharides of Dendrobium officinale (DOP) need to be dehydrated and concentrated after extraction for further application. They are usually concentrated by thermal evaporation which consumes great energy. However, high viscosity of DOP makes the concentration more difficult even using non-thermal membrane technologies such as nanofiltration (NF) or reverse osmosis (RO). In this study, effects of process conditions, such as membrane orientations, draw solutions and their concentrations, and flowrate on forward osmosis (FO) concentration of viscous DOP were studied. Active layer to feed solution mode, cross flowrate at 240 mL min⁻¹, and draw solution of 3 m NaCl have been found as the optimal conditions. Foulants on the membrane surface with loose structure could be easily cleaned and removed by hydraulic flushing. DOP concentrated by FO achieved almost 1.3 times at the same time compared with that in NF and RO. DOP could be further concentrated for 1.5 folds at longtime without significant decrease in water flux. In addition, slight reverse solutes in FO process could reduce the viscosity of high viscous DOP, which was good for concentration. Accordingly, FO is a potential technology for concentration of high viscous polysaccharides such as DOP.     

Calibrating the uptake kinetics of semipermeable membrane devices in water: impact of hydrodynamics

The use of lipid-containing semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) is becoming commonplace, but the potential effects of environmental variables affecting the accumulation of contaminants into SPMDs had not been characterized sufficiently, yet. To characterize the effect of hydrodynamic conditions on the contaminant uptake kinetics, accumulation of pentachlorobenzene, hexachlorobenzene, and hexachlorocyclohexane isomers from water into SPMD was studied at various water flow rates. The accumulation kinetics of hydrophobic compounds (log Kow > 4) are governed by the aqueous boundary layer in linear flow velocity range from 0.06 to 0.28 cm s(-1) and sensitive to slight changes in flow rate. The effect of flow velocity on the exchange kinetics increases with increasing hydrophobicity. Under faster, but still laminar flow conditions (0.28-1.14 cm s(-1)), the sensitivity to changes in flow decreases to a nonsignificant level for the substances under consideration. The results of this study confirm that the use of the laboratory-derived calibration data for estimation of analyte concentrations in the ambient environment is limited unless flow-sensitive performance reference compounds are used.     

Performance of forward (direct) osmosis process: membrane structure and transport phenomenon

The performance of a forward (direct) osmosis (FO) process was investigated using a laboratory-scale unit to elucidate the effect of membrane structure and orientation on waterflux. Two types of RO membrane and a FO membrane were tested using ammonium bicarbonate, glucose, and fructose as the draw solution to extract water from a saline feed solution. The FO membrane was able to achieve higher water flux than the RO membranes under the same experimental conditions while maintaining high salt rejection of greater than 97%. Increasing operating temperature increased the water flux in FO process. To investigate the effect of membrane orientation on water flux, the FO membrane was tested normally (dense selective layer facing draw solution) and reversely (dense selective layer facing feed solution). Explanations on transport phenomenon in FO process were proposed which explain the observation that the FO membrane, when used in the normal orientation, performed better due to lesser internal concentration polarization. This study suggests that an ideal FO membrane should consist of a thin dense selective layer without any loose fabric support layer.     

Effect of high hydrostatic pressure processing on norovirus infectivity and genome stability in strawberry puree and mineral water

We report an evaluation of the effect of various combinations of pressures and times on the inactivation of norovirus (NoV) in two types of matrices that are important in NoV transmission: water and soft fruits. The human NoV surrogate murine norovirus was used as the model virus. The effect of HHP on the viral genome was evaluated by using RT real-time PCR (RT-qPCR), and infectivity assay was used to assess effects on the ability of the virus to attach to and replicate in cells. HHP treatments of 400 MPa for 2.5 min proved to be sufficient for efficient inactivation of NoV (>99.9% reduction). The efficacy of viral inactivation was highly dependent on the matrix in which the virus was present. Therefore, the effect of HHP should be carefully studied in all matrices to which HHP could potentially be applied. Finally, we found no consistent correlation between RT-qPCR and virus infectivity results, and consequently RT-qPCR is not a satisfactory tool for predicting risks to human health.     

Trace metal speciation in brackish water using diffusive gradients in thin films and ultrafiltration: comparison of techniques

Diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) and ultrafiltration were used to measure trace metal concentrations in the Baltic Sea. The results provide the first comparison of these two fundamentally different speciation methods for trace metals. Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn were measured at two sites with different total trace metal concentrations. DGT units prepared with APA-gel as diffusive layer and Chelex 100 resin as binding agent were used throughout the study. The ultrafiltration was performed with Millipore Prep/Scale modules with cutoffs of 1 and 10 kDa. Concentration levels of Mn, Zn, and Cd measured by DGT agreed with the concentrations measured in 1 kDa ultrafiltered samples. For Cu and Ni the ultrafiltered concentrations exceeded the DGT-labile concentrations. The ability of DGT to preconcentrate metals was found to be an analytical advantage compared with ultrafiltration. DGT appears to be a good alternative to 1 kDa ultrafiltration for measurement of truly dissolved Mn, Cd, and Zn in the Baltic Sea.     

Effect of fluid intake on skin physiology: distinct differences between drinking mineral water and tap water

It is generally stated that drinking plenty of water has a positive influence on skin condition. However, there is no published scientific study that has investigated this matter. The aim of our exploratory 'before-after' study was to evaluate the in vivo influence of drinking more than 2 L of mineral water or ordinary tap water per day on skin physiology. Ninety-three healthy subjects were included in our prospective study. After an initial run-in phase of 2 weeks to monitor individual drinking habits, subjects had to drink 2.25 L day(-1) of either mineral water (n = 53) or tap water (n = 40) for 4 weeks. Bioengineering in vivo measurements on the volar forearm included sonographic evaluation of skin thickness and density, determination of skin surface pH, assessment of skin surface morphology, and measurement of finger circumference. Eighty-six subjects completed the study. In the mineral water group measurements revealed a statistically significant decrease in skin density. Skin thickness increased slightly, albeit not at a statistically significant level. However, when separately analysing those individuals from the mineral water group, who had routinely drunken comparably little before the start of the study, their skin thickness increased at a statistically significant level. Skin surface pH remained almost unchanged in the physiologically optimal range. In the tap water group, skin density increased significantly, while skin thickness decreased significantly. Skin surface pH decreased at a statistically significant level. While in the mineral water group finger circumference decreased significantly, measurements in the tap water group revealed a statistically significant increase. Objective skin surface morphology did not change in any group. In summary, drinking more than 2 L of water per day can have a significant impact on skin physiology. The exact effects within the skin seem to differ depending on the nature of the water ingested. Randomized, controlled, double-blind follow-up trials are warranted to confirm the findings of our exploratory pilot study.     

Partitioning thermodynamics of selected endocrine disruptors between water and synthetic membrane vesicles: effects of membrane compositions

The thermodynamics of partitioning of selected endocrine disruptors between water and synthetic membrane vesicles were investigated. For most of the chemicals investigated, partitioning is dominated by the enthalpy change for unsaturated lipid membrane vesicles and by the entropy contribution for saturated lipid membrane vesicles. The contribution of the entropy terms in determining the free-energy change becomes more important compared with the enthalpy terms with increased branching of p-substituted phenols. These results suggest that the thermal energy required for and the entropy gain associated with the creation of the cavity in the lipid bilayer is of critical importance in differentiating the process from 1-octanol/water partitioning. In addition, partitioning thermodynamics are significantly influenced by cholesterol content in the lipid membranes. Results of the present study and those in the literature suggest that partitioning processes significantly depend on the physical state of the lipid membranes and log K(ow)-based quantitative structure-activity relationships should be carefully applied for predicting bioconcentration by considering lipid compositions.     

Survival and growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in natural mineral water: a 5-year study

A 5-year study was carried out on the growth curve of two strains of P. aeruginosa inoculated at a density of 10(2) cfu/ml into samples of natural mineral water with different levels of dissolved solids (TDS at 180 degrees C: 72.5 and 382 mg/l) and low organic content (TOC: 0.17 and 0.35 mg/l). The resulting growth curves were similar for both strains, with only slight differences depending on the different amounts of dissolved solids in the water. After 4-5 days counts were increased by 3 log units. This level was maintained until 70-100 days from inoculation, after which a slow decrease began, culminating in the death of one of the strains after 5 years. No difference in recovery was observed between the method using direct inoculation on Cetrimide Agar and the resuscitation technique (preincubation in Tryptone Soya Agar followed by inoculation on Cetrimide Agar) in the exponential phase of the growth curve. During the stationary and death phases, however, the enrichment technique gave statistically slightly higher counts than the selective technique, indicating the presence of damaged P. aeruginosa cells. The use of a resuscitation step when using Cetrimide Agar to assess bottled water quality is recommended.     

Rehydration of casein powders: effects of added mineral salts and salt addition methods on water transfer

Enrichment of milk with micellar casein decreases water transfer during the rehydration of milk powders. In this study, the effects of the ion environment and the ion addition method on the rehydration kinetics were found to be dependent on the changes in the micellar casein. For example, adding citrate or phosphate solution to the micellar casein suspension before drying considerably increased rehydration rates and this was related to the destruction of the micelle structure. Water transfer in the casein suspension was improved by adding NaCl during rehydration: this effect may be explained by the more hygroscopic nature of NaCl rather than by extensive modification of the micellar structure. The addition of CaCl₂ considerably affected micelle organization and led to the formation of insoluble structures during spray drying.     

The effect of high pressure carbon dioxide on the inactivation kinetics and structural alteration of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from Chinese water chestnut: An investigation using multi-spectroscopy and molecular docking methods

The effect of high pressure carbon dioxide (HPCD) on the inactivation kinetic and structure of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) from Chinese water chestnut (CWC) was studied in this paper. The inactivation kinetic of PAL treated by HPCD (1–4 MPa, 35–55 °C, and 5–60 min) were determined and fitted to the first order kinetics model with calculating kinetic parameters. As revealed by the circular dichroism spectral, the α-helix and β-turn content in secondary structure increased and the β-sheet content decreased. And the intensity of the fluorescence spectra reflecting tertiary structure decreased, together with the λ_max blue-shifted with the increasing pressure. Fluorescence and circular dichroism spectral results indicated that the conformation of PAL was altered by HPCD. The findings of particle size distribution and ζ potential showed that HPCD could cause the aggregates of PAL particles. Moreover, molecular docking indicated the interactions between small molecules (CO₂, H₂CO₃, HCO₃⁻, and CO₃²⁻) and PAL might result in a decrease in PAL activity by forming steric hindrance, preventing substrate from binding. Finally, this paper proposed a potential mechanism for inactivation of PAL by HPCD treatment, where the loss in PAL activity was correlated to changes in secondary and tertiary structure of PAL, which was induced by aggregation effect of HPCD.     

Partitioning of selected estrogenic compounds between synthetic membrane vesicles and water: effects of lipid components

Partition coefficients of the steroid estrogens 17beta-estradiol, estriol, estrone, and 17alpha-ethynylestradiol and the industrial estrogenic compounds p-nonylphenol, p-(tert)octylphenol, bisphenol A, butylbenzylphthalate, and dibutylphthalate between liposome membrane vesicles and water (K(lipw) values) were determined using equilibrium dialysis. A moderate linear correlation with R2 values of as low as 0.679 were found for the relationship between log K(lipw) and log K(ow) for these compounds. Effects of lipid components used to prepare the membrane vesicles on the partitioning of 17beta-estradiol and p-nonylphenol were also evaluated. For both, K(lipw) values were larger for the vesicles prepared from phospholipids composed of shorter acyl chains such as dilauroyl-phosphatidylcholine than those composed of longer acyl chains such as distearoylphosphatidylcholine. Partition coefficients were higher for the vesicles prepared from phospholipids including unsaturated acyl chains such as dioleoyl-phosphatidylcholine than those solely composed of saturated acyl chains such as distearoyl-phosphatidylcholine. Both shorter acyl chains and double bonds resulted in a more fluid conformation of the lipid bilayer with the liquid crystalline phase rather than the gel phase and greater partitioning. In contrast, higher cholesterol contents reduced the partitioning coefficient. The presence of cholesterol in the void of the lipid bilayer possibly led to the stabilization of the bilayer and the decrease in the partitioning of 17beta-estradiol or p-nonylphenol molecules. These results suggest that phase transition is of critical importance in selecting lipid components to evaluate the bioconcentration for these compounds.     

Quality degradation kinetics of pasteurised and high pressure processed fresh Navel orange juice: Nutritional parameters and shelf life

A kinetic study of post processing quality loss was conducted after high pressure processing (600 MPa, 40 °C, 4 min) or thermal pasteurisation (80 °C, 60 s) of fresh Navel orange juice. Selection of processing conditions was mainly based on pectin methylesterase inactivation. Ascorbic acid loss, colour, viscosity and sensory characteristics were measured during storage at different isothermal conditions (0–30 °C). Increased shelf life (based on ascorbic acid retention) was achieved for high pressurised compared to thermally pasteurised juice, ranging from 49% (storage at 15 °C) to 112% (storage at 0 °C). Activation energy values for ascorbic acid loss were 68.5 and 53.1 kJ/mol, respectively, for high pressurised and thermally treated juice. High pressure processing resulted in better retention of flavour of untreated juice and superior sensory characteristics compared to thermal pasteurisation. Colour change was linearly correlated to ascorbic acid loss for both types of processing. Slightly higher apparent viscosity values were determined for high pressurised juice.Industrial relevanceApplication of high hydrostatic pressure on orange juice industry. Fresh orange juice is a product of high commercial and nutritional value due to its rich vitamin C content and its desired sensory characteristics. High Hydrostatic Pressure (HHP) is an alternative non-thermal technology that has been proposed for application on orange juice. Such a treatment denaturates enzymes and eliminates microorganisms responsible for spoilage of orange juice without detrimental effects on the sensory and nutritional quality of juice. The effect of HHP on the stability of fresh orange juice has been studied by different research groups, while orange juices processed with the new technology have already been commercially available in Japan, U.S.A., Mexico and Europe. However, a systematic kinetic approach of the effect of HHP on different quality indexes (not only microbial spoilage) immediately after processing, as well as during a long term storage of the processed orange juice is needed, in order to achieve an optimal process design and a successful application of the new technology in orange juice industry. Such kinetic data for parameters related to the quality and nutritional value of fresh orange juice were gathered in the present work providing therefore industry with useful information for the HHP stabilization of orange juice and the production of a high quality product. Due to the great benefits of HHP compared to the conventional pasteurization that emerged from this work regarding the quality, shelf life and nutritional characteristics of fresh orange juice, HHP technology is an advantageous alternative process for high valued products like orange juice.     

Kinetics of coffee infusion: a comparative study on the extraction kinetics of mineral ions and caffeine from several types of medium roasted coffees

A comparative study of the equilibrium concentrations, rates of infusion and intra‐bean diffusion coefficients of caffeine, P (as H₂PO ), K⁺, Mg²⁺ and Mn²⁺ in Milli‐Q‐Water at 80 °C was carried out. Medium roasted coffees of particle size range 1.70–2.00 mm from six different countries—Special Kenya (Kenya), Santos (Brazil), Blue Mountain Java (Sumatra), Mocha (Ethiopia), Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe) and South African Grown (South Africa)—were used in the investigation. High‐performance liquid chromatography was used for the analyses of caffeine, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry for the chosen elements. The equilibrium concentrations of all the species and the trend were found to be independent of the various coffee beans. The order of the rate of infusion was found to be K⁺ > caffeine > P (as H₂PO) > Mg²⁺ > Mn²⁺. Examination of the rate constants clearly indicated that P (as H₂PO), Mg²⁺ and Mn²⁺ cannot be used for identification of the coffee origin, but the values for caffeine and K⁺ can be used. Diffusion coefficients of caffeine and mineral ions were calculated in two separate ways using rate constants and half‐lives of infusion. These were then compared with known diffusion coefficients of the same species in water for determination of hindrance factors. The hindrance factor for caffeine was found to be much smaller than the corresponding factors recorded at 25.5 °C. In general the hindrance factors in the bean were all of the order of 10, with Mn²⁺ being the most hindered species. This is an indication that the infusion of the various species through the coffee bean is a hindered process. This is because of the association of caffeine and mineral ions with other coffee solubles and the physical restraint within the bean matrix. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effects of high pressure treatment on indigenous enzymes in bovine milk: Reaction kinetics,inactivation and potential application

High pressure-induced inactivation of the indigenous milk enzymes alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and phosphohexoseisomerase (PHI) was studied in the pressure range 400–800 MPa at temperatures between 5 and 40 °C. With respect to pressure stability the following ranking was observed: ALP>GGT>PHI. PHI was inactivated after pressure treatment at 500 MPa and 20 °C for 10 min. In terms of reaction kinetics, inactivation of GGT followed first-order reaction kinetics in the range of 400–800 MPa whereas a reaction order of 1.5 was found for ALP. Reactivation of pressure-treated ALP was observed at low enzyme activity resulting from severe pressure treatment and 2 h storage at 35 °C. The influence of process temperature on the pressure-induced inactivation of GGT and ALP was limited in the range 5–40 °C.     

Hydration of casein micelles: kinetics and isotherms of water sorption of micellar casein isolated from fresh and heat-treated milk.

Water vapour sorption isotherms of casein micelles prepared from raw milk and various heat-treated milks were determined. The equilibrium water contents of the heated preparations were markedly lower than that of the raw-milk casein over the whole range of vapour pressures studied. An analysis of the sorption isotherms in the relative vapour pressure range 0.1--0.45, according to the Brunauer, Emmett & Teller (1938) equation, showed that there were significant differences between preparations in the computed monolayer contents. Differences in the rates of water sorption were also observed between the different preparations. As judged from the amount of absorbed water, the influence of the heating methods could be ranked in the order: HTST (92 degrees C) approximately UHT (direct) less than UHT (indirect) less than HTST (72 degrees C).