Curcumin and Liver Disease: from Chemistry to Medicine

Curcumin, the natural yellow‐colored active principle, also called turmeric yellow, extracted from the perennial herb Curcuma longa L., has potent biological and pharmacological properties such as antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial, anti‐ischemic, antitumor, and anticancer actions. The molecular mechanism of the hepatoprotective action of curcumin is due to its antioxidant properties and inhibitory activity against nuclear factor (NF)‐κB that regulates different proinflammatory and profibrotic cytokines. Overall, scientific reports demonstrate that curcumin has high therapeutic ability for treating hepatic disorders. Here is a systematic discussion of the hepatoprotective activity of curcumin and its possible mechanisms of actions.     

Phytohormone Profiles Induced by Trichoderma Isolates Correspond with Their Biocontrol and Plant Growth-Promoting Activity on Melon Plants

The application of Trichoderma strains with biocontrol and plant growth-promoting capacities to plant substrates can help reduce the input of chemical pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture. Some Trichoderma isolates can directly affect plant pathogens, but they also are known to influence the phytohormonal network of their host plant, thus leading to an improvement of plant growth and stress tolerance. In this study, we tested whether alterations in the phytohormone signature induced by different Trichoderma isolates correspond with their ability for biocontrol and growth promotion. Four Trichoderma isolates were collected from agricultural soils and were identified as the species Trichoderma harzianum (two isolates), Trichoderma ghanense, and Trichoderma hamatum. Their antagonistic activity against the plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis was tested in vitro, and their plant growth-promoting and biocontrol activity against Fusarium wilt on melon plants was examined in vivo, and compared to that of the commercial strain T. harzianum T-22. Several growth- and defense-related phytohormones were analyzed in the shoots of plants that were root-colonized by the different Trichoderma isolates. An increase in auxin and a decrease in cytokinins and abscisic acid content were induced by the isolates that promoted the plant growth. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to evaluate the relationship between the plant phenotypic and hormonal variables. PCA pointed to a strong association of auxin induction with plant growth stimulation by Trichoderma. Furthermore, the disease-protectant ability of the Trichoderma strains against F. oxysporum infection seems to be more related to their induced alterations in the content of the hormones abscisic acid, ethylene, and the cytokinin trans-zeatin riboside than to the in vitro antagonism activity against F. oxysporum.     

Exoglucanase‐encoding genes from three Wickerhamomyces anomalus killer strains isolated from olive brine

Wickerhamomyces anomalus killer strains are important for fighting pathogenic yeasts and for controlling harmful yeasts and bacteria in the food industry. Targeted disruption of key genes in β‐glucan synthesis of a sensitive Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain conferred resistance to the toxins of W. anomalus strains BS91, BCA15 and BCU24 isolated from olive brine. Competitive inhibition of the killing activities by laminarin and pustulan refer to β‐1,3‐ and β‐1,6‐glucans as the main primary toxin targets. The extracellular exoglucanase‐encoding genes WaEXG1 and WaEXG2 from the three strains were sequenced and were found to display noticeable similarities to those from known potent W. anomalus killer strains. Accession Nos for WaEXG1 genes for the strains in brackets are JQ734563 (BS91), JQ734564 (BCA15) and JQ734565 (BCU24); for WaEXG2 genes JQ734566 (BS91), JQ734567 (BCA15) and JQ734568 (BCU24), respectively. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

NIST reference goniophotometer for specular gloss measurements

The measurement of specular gloss consists of comparing the luminous reflectance from a test specimen to that from a gloss standard, under the same geometric conditions. The reference goniophotometer described here was designed and characterized to comply with the geometric and spectral conditions specified in the international documentary standards for specular gloss measurements at the standard geometries of 20, 60, and 85°. In addition, this instrument measures the bi-directional luminous reflectance and transmittance for incident angles from 0 to 85°. The goniophotometer and the measurement procedures used to determine the specular gloss of nonmetallic samples are described in this paper, as well as the characterization of the instrument and uncertainty analysis. The minimum relative expanded uncertainty (k=2) for the reference goniophotometer is 0.3%. Optical Technology Div., Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8441.     

Evaluation of a screening method for classifying virgin and recycled paper and board samples

This paper deals with the study of volatile compounds released by recycled paper and board. The aim of the study was to demonstrate the feasibility of headspace procedure coupled to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) applied to complex paper‐based samples together with a chemometric procedure as a powerful method for screening potential volatile contaminants released by the recycled and virgin paper samples. Using this procedure, the identification of virgin or recycled paper could be achieved based on the identification on specific markers of the recycled pulp. Fifteen different samples within virgin and recycled paper were studied. After equilibration, the vapour phase of the samples was analysed by automatic headspace coupled online to GC/MS. The analytical approach for volatile compounds, their identification and the selection of some compounds as markers for recycled pulp are shown and discussed. A discriminate analysis applied to the set of results obtained allows classification of the samples into four different groups according to the content of recycled pulp (0, 10–30 and > 80% of recycled pulp), the surface treatment of the paper (no surface treatment, clay coating and plastic coating), the grammage (from < 100 to > 300 g/m²) and the sample thickness (from < 300 to > 600 µm). The matrix effect on the volatilization of some compounds from the paper samples and the analytical behaviour are also discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Production of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids by Mortierella alpina Using Submerse and Solid State Fermentation

A new isolate of Mortierella alpina, &#62; 98 % identical with M. alpina ATCC 16266, was cultivated in a defined glucose‐based medium with three organic nitrogen sources (glycine, urea and Na‐L‐glutamate) at three different concentrations in shaking flasks at 20 °C. The results were compared to the cultivation in complex medium with yeast extract as nitrogen source. In the defined media, high yields of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and arachidonic acid (ARA), respectively, were obtained with Na‐L‐glutamate. However, the absolute highest yields of PUFA and ARA were measured with the yeast extract medium. An optimized yeast extract complex medium was used for a submerse bioreactor cultivation in a 45‐L scale. Furthermore, M. alpina was cultivated in a solid state fermenter, using an oat bran water mixture as substrate.     

Polyethylene as an Additive for Mineral Oils — Part II: EHL Traction Behavior

In Part I of the paper ((1999), Trib. Trans., 42, pp. 851–859) we investigated the effect of the polyethylene concentration on the film forming properties in a rolling bearing. This second part presents the influence of the polymer additive concentration on the traction behavior experienced using a two-disk machine at different temperatures and contact pressures.

By using the traction data, a semi-empirical approach for determining the effective lubricant theological parameters in EHL contacts was performed. Using this approach, the effect of polymer concentration upon rheological parameters that appear in the Johnson and Tevaarwerk model with Eyring stress was quantified.     

Role of lattice oxygen in the partial oxidation of methane over Rh/zirconia-doped ceria. Isotopic studies

Isotopic tracer and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) are used to probe the identity of oxygen for CO formation during the catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) of methane to synthesis gas on ¹⁸O₂ labeled Rh (1 wt.%)/(Ce_0.56Zr_0.44)O_2−x. Results reveal that methane is selectively oxidized by lattice oxygen ions from the catalyst to form carbon monoxide. ¹⁸O₂ isotopic exchange experiments, as a function of temperature in the 0–850 °C range, were performed on Rh (1 wt.%)/(Ce_0.56Zr_0.44)O_2−x, and (Ce_0.56Zr_0.44)O_2−x. It was observed that the presence of rhodium considerably accelerates the oxygen exchange with the support; the maximal exchange rates could be observed at lower temperatures, 250 °C. This may be due to oxygen spillover from the metal particles to the oxide. Comparing results from the isotopic exchange experiments on Rh/γ-alumina and Rh (1 wt.%)/(Ce_0.56Zr_0.44)O_2−x. It was revealed that oxygen conducting materials have a much higher oxygen storage capacity and isotopic exchange rate than non-oxygen conducting materials.