Effect of air-drying temperature on antioxidant capacity and stability of polyphenolic compounds in mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves

The mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaf is a promising dietary source of antioxidants such as quercetin due to its relatively high content of that compound. We investigated effects of an air-drying process on the antioxidant capacity and stability of antioxidant polyphenolic compounds in mulberry leaves. Main compounds playing a central role in antioxidant activities in mulberry leaves are quercetin glycosides and chlorogenic acid. Raw mulberry leaves were air-dried at various temperatures, and antioxidant activity using DPPH radical scavenging assay and levels of antioxidant compounds were measured. DPPH radical scavenging activity and levels of polyphenolic compounds in mulberry leaves air-dried at 60 °C or below were not significantly different from those of freeze-dried mulberry leaves, whereas both values in mulberry leaves air-dried at 70 °C and over decreased significantly. These results indicate that strict temperature control is important in the production of mulberry leaf products to maintain antioxidant activity and levels of polyphenolic compounds.     

Transport implications resulting from internal redistribution of arsenic and iron within constructed soil aggregates

Soils are an aggregate-based structured media that have a multitude of pore domains resulting in varying degrees of advective and diffusive solute and gas transport. Consequently, a spectrum of biogeochemical processes may function at the aggregate scale that collectively, and coupled with solute transport, determine element cycling in soils and sediments. To explore how the physical structure impacts biogeochemical processes influencing the fate and transport of As, we examined temporal changes in speciation and distribution of As and Fe within constructed aggregates through experimental measurement and reactive transport simulations. Spherical aggregates were made with As(V)-bearing ferrihydrite-coated sand inoculated with Shewanella sp. ANA-3; aerated solute flow around the aggregate was then induced. Despite the aerated aggregate exterior, where As(V) and ferrihydrite persist as the dominant species, anoxia develops within the aggregate interior. As a result, As and Fe redox gradients emerge, and the proportion of As(III) and magnetite increases toward the aggregate interior. Arsenic(III) and Fe(II) produced in the interior migrate toward the aggregated exterior and result in coaccumulation of As and Fe(III) proximal to preferential flow paths as a consequence of oxygenic precipitation. The oxidized rind of aggregates thus serves as a barrier to As release into advecting pore-water, but also leads to be a buildup of this hazardous element at preferential flow boundaries that could be released upon shifting geochemical conditions.     

Improvement of carbon monoxide analysis in fish meat

Carbon monoxide (CO) treatment of fish meat of tuna, yellowtail, tilapia etc. is not allowed in Japan, since it can maintain the red color for a longer period than the microbiological shelf life of fish meat. The official method for quantification of CO has a problem, in that a part of the CO is lost during the preparation of the fish sample. To solve this problem, we modified the official method in this study. We also applied this modified method to survey the contents of CO in tuna, yellowtail, young yellowtail, and tilapia. As a result, the modified method was found to be more suitable for CO quantification than the official method. An inter-laboratory study by 4 laboratories confirmed that the CO content of many samples of tilapia exceeded the regulation value, apparently due to the higher recovery of CO, compared to the official method. Therefore, it was suggested that the regulation value in the case of tilapia should be changed if this method is introduced as an official method.     

Study of amount of evaporation residue in extracts from plastic kitchen utensils into four food-simulating solvents

The amount of evaporation residue was investigated as an index of total amount of non-volatile substances that migrated from plastic kitchen utensils into four food-simulating solvents (water, 4% acetic acid, 20% ethanol and heptane). The samples were 71 products made of 12 types of plastics for food contact use. The amount was determined in accordance with the Japanese testing method. The quantitation limit was 5 μg/mL. In the cases of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, acrylonitrile styrene resin, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polymethylpentene, polymethylmethacrylate and polyethylene terephthalate samples, the amount was highest for heptane and very low for the other solvents. On the other hand, in the cases of melamine resin and polyamide samples, the amount was highest for 4% acetic acid or 20% ethanol and lowest for heptane. These results enabled the selection of the most suitable solvent, and the rapid and efficient determination of evaporation residue.     

Absolute quantitation of quercetin and the glycosides in natural food additives by quantitative NMR

We are developing a simple absolute quantitation method for organic compounds, by means of quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR), with traceability to the International System of Units (SI units). The qNMR method was applied to the absolute quantitation of rutin, isoquercitrin and quercetin in natural food additives, rutin (extract), enzymatically decomposed rutin extract and quercetin, and those compounds as commercial reagents. In this study, 1,4-bis-(trimethylsilyl)benzene-d(4) (1,4-BTMSB-d(4)) whose purity was precisely evaluated on the basis of metrology, was newly used as a qNMR reference material, to be added to the sample solution as an internal standard. The contents of quercetin and quercetin glycosides were calculated from the ratio of the signal intensities of each aromatic proton at the 2' position of the three compounds (these are observed at different chemical shifts) to the eighteen protons of the six methyl groups on 1,4-BTMSB-d(4) used as a qNMR reference material. Rapid and simple qNMR method with only one step process was carried by using 1,4-BTMSB-d(4). It was demonstrated that the purities of rutin, isoquercitrin and quercetin can be separately determined by qNMR without the need for a separation process or reference materials for all the target compounds.     

Chemical stability of γ-butyrolactone-based electrolytes for aluminum electrolytic capacitors

γ-Butyrolactone-based electrolytes have been used as the operating electrolytes for aluminum electrolytic capacitors. The chemical stability of these electrolytes at elevated temperatures has been examined by monitoring the decrease in their electrolytic conductivities. The deteriorated electrolytes were analyzed by gas and liquid chromatography and the conductivity decrease was directly correlated with the loss of acid components. In quaternary ammonium hydrogen maleate/γ-butyrolactone electrolytes, the maleate anion decomposed by decarboxylation resulting in a complex polymer containing polyester and polyacrylate structures. Quaternary ammonium benzoate/γ-butyrolactoneelectrolytes decomposed by SN2 reactions giving alkyi benzoates and trialkylamines. The deterioration of the carboxylate salt/γ-butyrolactone electrolytes was accelerated by electrolysis.     

Possible role of dentin matrix in region-specific deposition of cellular and acellular extrinsic fibre cementum

The mechanism whereby a region-specific deposition of the two types of cementum (cellular cementum and acellular extrinsic fibre cementum) is regulated on the growing root surface was tested using bisphosphonate-affected teeth of young rats and guinea pigs. The animals were injected subcutaneously with 8 or 10 mg P x kg body weight(-1) x day(-1) of 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-bisphosphonate (HEBP) for 1 or 2 weeks. In rat molars, HEBP prevented mineralization of newly formed root dentin matrix and totally inhibited de novo deposition of acellular extrinsic fibre cementum. Instead, thick cellular cementum was induced on the non-mineralized root dentin surface, irrespective of the position of the root. In both animals, cellular cementum was also induced on the non-mineralized surface of root analogue dentin in HEBP-affected incisors, where only acellular extrinsic fibre cementum is deposited under normal conditions. In normal rat molars, dentin sialoprotein (DSP) was concentrated along the dentin-cellular cementum border, but not that of dentin and acellular extrinsic fibre cementum. In HEBP-affected rat incisors, DSP was shown to penetrate through the non-mineralized dentin into the surrounding tissues, but not through the mineralized portions. These data suggest that, at the site of cellular cementum formation, putative inducing factors for cellular cementum might diffuse into the periodontal space through the newly deposited mantle dentin matrix before it is mineralized. At earlier stages of root formation, mantle dentin might mineralize more promptly not to allow such diffusion. The timing of mineralization of mantle dentin matrix might be the key determinant of the types of the cementum deposited on the growing root surface.     

Photoelectrochemical properties of sol–gel-derived anatase and rutile TiO2 films

Anatase and rutile film electrodes with comparable porosities were prepared by the sol–gel dip-coating method, and the photoelectrochemical properties were studied based on photocurrent measurement and impedance analysis in a three-electrode wet cell. The photocurrent was found to increase with the donor density, both in anatase and rutile electrodes. For the same donor density, however, rutile electrodes exhibited higher photocurrents than anatase electrodes, which was ascribed to the more beneficial bandgap structure of the former.     

Effects of C60, a Fullerene, on the Activities of Glutathione S-Transferase and Glutathione-Related Enzymes in Rodent and Human Livers

The effects of C₆₀, a fullerene, on the activities of glutathione 5-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and glutathione reductase (GR) in rodent and human livers were investigated. the GST activity in rat liver towards frans-4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one and that in mouse liver towards ethacrynic acid were inhibited by C₆₀- the GST activity towards 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene, isomerase activity of GST towards androst-5-ene-3,17-dione, GSH-Px activity and GR activity were not affected by C₆₀ a kinetic study using purified mouse GST-π with ethacrynic acid (25-100 μM) as the substrate revealed that C₆₀ was a non-competitive inhibitor of the enzyme with a K_i = 48.8 ± 0.25 μM and a K_i = 47.9 ±0.18 μM. However, C₆₀ did not inhibit the activity of purified mouse GST-π towards l-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. Thus, the inhibition by C₆₀ appears to be substrate-specific. In human liver, C₆₀ inhibited the GST activity towards ethacrynic acid, and moderately inhibited GSH-Px and GR activities.     

Hydration of phosphate and borate glasses at high temperatures and pressures

The kinetics of hydration of CaO-Al₂O₃-P₂O₅ and Na₂O-CaO-B₂O₃-Al₂O₃ glasses in an autoclave at high temperatures and pressures have been investigated. A linear time dependence of the depth of hydrated layer has been found for the glasses used in the present study. This implies that the hydration process is governed by the chemical reaction at the interface between the unhydrated and the hydrated glass phases. It is indicated that the hydration of the phosphate glasses may occur as a result of hydrolysis of glass constituents to form orthophosphate crystals. Water vapour can easily reach the interface through the crystalline aggregates, which are loosely packed. Cabal glasses which do not contain any alkali oxides have shown quite a high resistance to water. Substitution of sodium for calcium has resulted in deterioration of the chemical durability of cabal glasses. This can be explained by the difference in stability between sodium and calcium ions in the hydrated layer.