Association of Triclosan to Casein Proteins Through Solvent-Mediated High-Pressure Homogenization

ABSTRACT:  The association of triclosan (TCS), a widely used hydrophobic compound, to the bovine casein micelle is investigated in this study. The use of high-pressure homogenization (HPH) at 0, 100, 200, and 300 MPa was introduced as a method for the dissociation of casein micelles in a skim milk/ethanol solution (1: 1, v/v) in the presence of TCS at 20, 80, and 160 mg/L where ethanol evaporation served as the final step for TCS association to caseins. The majority of TCS (over 80%) was associated with the caseins regardless of initial TCS concentration or applied pressure. TCS association to caseins was enhanced by 30% with continued pressurization to 300 MPa. Micellar dissociation and reassociation was found to be an irreversible process as evidenced by microscopy images. Pressurization to 300 MPa resulted in the formation of an integrated protein network of casein proteins and noncovalently linked whey proteins where the solubility of TCS was enhanced up to 40 times its reported water solubility at the highest initial TCS level of 160 mg/L. Reformed micelles exhibited Newtonian flow behavior at all pressure levels. This study provides evidence for the solubility enhancing quality of TCS through the solvent-mediated pressure/shear-induced dissociation of casein proteins.     

L-Theanine: properties, synthesis and isolation from tea

Theanine is a non-protein amino acid that occurs naturally in the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and contributes to the favourable taste of tea. It is also associated with effects such as the enhancement of relaxation and the improvement of concentration and learning ability. It is also linked with health benefits including the prevention of certain cancers and cardiovascular disease, the promotion of weight loss and enhanced performance of the immune system. Thus, there has been a significant rise in the demand for theanine. While theanine has been chemically and biologically synthesised, techniques to isolate theanine from natural sources remain an important area of research. In this review article, the properties and health benefits of theanine are summarised and the synthesis and isolation of theanine are reviewed and discussed. Future perspectives for the isolation of theanine from natural sources are also outlined.     

Gac fruit (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng.): a rich source of bioactive compounds and its potential health benefits

Gac (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng.) is a tropical vine originating from South and South‐East Asia. Gac fruit has traditionally been used in Asia to provide red colour for cuisines and enhance visional health. Recently, Gac fruit has emerged as a potential source of carotenoids, especially lycopene and β‐carotene. Carotenoids and other identified bioactives from this fruit including phenolics, flavonoids and trypsin inhibitors are associated with many beneficial bioactivities such as antioxidant, anticancer and provitamin A activities. In addition to the traditional utilisation, commercial products like Gac powder and Gac oil have been manufactured as natural colourants and medicinal supplements. This paper is a review of the scientific literature on the nutritional composition, biological activities and processing of Gac fruit.     

Junctional structures in the crystalline cone of the crayfish compound eye

The junction in the crystalline cone in the compound eye of the crayfish Procambarus clarki is described. It consists of electron-dense pentahedrons arranged regularly all over the cytoplasmic surface of each membrane and dense material in the intercellular space. The cone is an entity formed by the secretion of the four cone cells so the junctional structures may serve a cohesive function. This junction is therefore designated as a coherent junction.     

Blood letting for BSL: the effects of timing and sites on blood volume

The purpose of this study was to establish the most appropriate timing and site for obtaining an adequate volume of blood for accurate measurement of blood sugar levels by blood glucose monitors. The 248 samples of blood used in the study were collected from 18 men and 16 women recruited from a group of people with type II diabetes mellitus who were attending an outpatient Diabetes Centre. Neither the timing between lancing and collecting the blood nor the sites from which blood was obtained significantly affected the volume of blood samples. Sufficient blood to give an accurate measure of blood sugar levels from monitors requiring 30, 15-18 and five microlitres of blood was obtained from 37%, 65% and 98% of the procedures respectively.     

A hybrid GA-SA algorithm for just-in-time scheduling of multi-level assemblies

The environment is a manufacturing facility that produces multi-level assemblies in a Just-In-Time (JIT) fashion. The due-dates and lot-sizes of the end-items are given, and the objective is to determine a lot-for-lot operations schedule that minimizes the cumulative production lead-time. The scheduling problem within such an environment is NP-hard, and therefore, the performance of heuristics may vary depending on the specific problem instance. To address this problem an effective hybrid Genetic Algorithm-Simulated Annealing (GA-SA) algorithm is developed. The GA starts with an initial population generated by well known scheduling heuristics, a critical path heuristic, and randomly generated schedules. The scheduling work is shared by the GA and SA in two phases that alternate until convergence: (1) Phase I is the GA that crosses over solutions for different work-centers, and (2) Phase II is the SA that improves the sequence of operations on individual work-centers. The effectiveness of the proposed heuristic is assessed via numerical studies.     

Nighttime insulin kinetics and glycemic control in type 1 diabetes patients following administration of an intermediate-acting lispro preparation

OBJECTIVE: To determine insulin kinetics and overnight glycemic control after bedtime administration of a new intermediate-acting insulin preparation called neutral protamine lispro (NPL). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We studied 12 patients with well-controlled type 1 diabetes. The study had a double-blind, randomized, crossover design. After a lead-in period of 10-14 days two experiments were carried out with an interval of 2-7 days. During these experiments overnight insulin kinetics and fasting blood glucose levels were studied after evening administration of NPH insulin and NPL. Blood glucose levels < 3.8 mmol/l were treated by means of a variable infusion of a 20% glucose solution. RESULTS: A trend toward a shorter time to peak insulin concentration was observed after administration of NPL (P = 0.07). No differences between NPH and NPL were detected in the total area under the curve (AUC) for insulin, in insulin levels before breakfast, or in glucose levels before breakfast (P = 0.5, 0.6, and 0.4, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We detected no major differences between NPH and NPL in the total AUC for insulin, prebreakfast glucose levels, or prebreakfast insulin levels. Therefore, we conclude that NPH and NPL are equally effective in controlling overnight glycemia.