Evaluation of Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Essential Oils from Carum copticum Seed and Ferula assafoetida Latex

Carum copticum and Ferula assafoetida have several medicinal properties including antispasmodic, carminative, sedative, analgesic, and antiseptic. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) scavenging activities of Carum and Ferula oils along with their antibacterial and antifungal activities were examined. Thymol (40.25%), γ‐terpinene (38.7%) and p‐cymene (15.8%) were detected as the main components of Carum oil while, β‐pinene (47.1%), α‐pinene (21.36%), and 1, 2‐dithiolane (18.6%) were the main components of Ferula oil. Inhibitory concentrations (IC50) for total radical scavenging were between 40 and 60 and 130 and 160 μg/mL of Carum and Ferula oil, respectively. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Aspergillus niger, and Candida albicans were 78 ± 8, 65 ± 7, 14 ± 3, 5 ± 2, 5.6 ± 1.3, and 8.8 ± 2.2 μg/mL of Carum oil, respectively. MIC for S. typhi, E. coli, S. aureus, B. subtilis, A. niger, and C. albicans were >200, >200, 125 ± 17, 80 ± 12, 85 ± 5, and 90 ± 11 μg/mL of Ferula oil, respectively. Accordingly, Carum and Ferula oils could be used as safe and effective natural antioxidants to improve the oxidative stability of fatty foods during storage and to preserve foods against food burn pathogens. Practical Application : This study clearly demonstrates the potential of Carum and Ferula oil especially Carum oil as natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. The chemical composition of essential oils was identified. Thus, identification of such compounds also helps to discover of new antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal agents for potential applications in food safety and food preservation.     

Effect of key process variables on mechanical properties of blended vortex spun yarns

A study of significant factors and their interaction during vortex yarn spinning has been carried out to achieve desired mechanical properties of the polyethylene terephthalate/cotton blended yarns which can offer process and performance advantages. The key significant factors, i.e. feed ratio, air pressure and spindle size were varied in a mixed-level factorial design. The mechanical properties (count lea strength product, tenacity and elongation at break) were studied and feed ratio was found to significantly affect the tenacity and elongation at break of spun yarns. A significant effect of these parameters was observed on the diameter and hairiness of the Muratec vortex spun yarn.     

Utilization of the yarn pullout test in estimation of the reserved energy of rib knitted fabrics

The yarn pullout test is a prevailing and particular method to evaluate the effects of yarn properties and the structural characteristics of the fabric on the fabric mechanical performance. In this research, a theoretical model of yarn pull out is presented to determine the reserved energy of weft-knitted fabrics with rib 1 × 1 structure. This model is based on the fabric dimensional properties, i.e. stitch length, wale density, yarn diameter and contact angle of yarns. In order to appraise the proposed model, five different double jersey weft-knitted fabrics with rib 1 × 1 structure were produced and exposed to pullout test. Comparison between deviations of theoretical results from experimental results demonstrates that the presented theoretical model exhibits a rational estimation of the reserved energy in these fabrics.     

Oxidative stability enhancement of broiler bird meats with α-lipoic acid and α-tocopherol acetate supplemented feed

Depression of meat quality is known to be caused by lipid peroxidation occurring in meat. Supplementation of antioxidants in feed decreases lipid peroxidation and improves the oxidative stability of meat after slaughtering. The present study demonstrated that meat obtained from broiler birds fed feed supplemented with α-tocopherol acetate (200 mg/kg feed) along with α-lipoic acid (25, 75, or 150 mg/kg feed) exhibited increased oxidative stability and reduced fat content. The total phenolic content and α-lipoic acid content increased in the meat as the concentration of α-lipoic acid supplementation increased. The protein content in the meat was not changed by the supplementation of α-lipoic acid and α-tocopherol acetate. The results of DPPH and TBA assays demonstrated that feed supplemented with α-lipoic acid and α-tocopherol acetate also enhanced the antioxidant activity of broiler meat. On the other hand, the meat from broiler birds fed feed supplemented with oxidised oil (4% in feed) reduced its oxidative stability.     

Effects of supranutritional dietary vitamin E levels on subcellular deposition of α-tocopherol in the muscle and on pork quality

The influence of three levels of vitamin E in the diet of pigs on the subcellular deposition of α-tocopherol in the muscle and on selected quality characteristics of pork meat (oxidative stability of lipids, colour, drip loss, microbial growth) was studied. The content of α-tocopherol in adipose tissue and L. dorsi muscle as well as in mitochondrial and microsomal fractions of the muscle significantly increased (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of dietary vitamin E. The differences in the concentrations of α-tocopherol in the subcellular fractions were evident in the enhanced stability of the membranes when exposed to metmyoglobin/hydrogen peroxide. The beneficial effect of dietary vitamin E on the oxidative stability of pork lipids during the storage of pork chops and ground pork was also demonstrated. Even though lipid oxidation increased in all cases during storage, the pork products from the pigs receiving the highest level of vitamin E (200 IU kg^?1 feed) exhibited the smallest increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. In addition, increased colour stability and decreased drip loss were observed on keeping pork chops, which had been previously frozen for three months, at 4°C under fluoresent light for 10 days. The possible effect of α-tocopherol on membrane fluidity in this context is discussed.     

Genomics and Epigenomics of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Understanding the Molecular Pathways of the Disease Pathogenesis

One of the most common complications during pregnancy is gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), hyperglycemia that occurs for the first time during pregnancy. The condition is multifactorial, caused by an interaction between genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. However, the underlying mechanisms responsible for its pathogenesis remain elusive. Moreover, in contrast to several common metabolic disorders, molecular research in GDM is lagging. It is important to recognize that GDM is still commonly diagnosed during the second trimester of pregnancy using the oral glucose tolerance test (OGGT), at a time when both a fetal and maternal pathophysiology is already present, demonstrating the increased blood glucose levels associated with exacerbated insulin resistance. Therefore, early detection of metabolic changes and associated epigenetic and genetic factors that can lead to an improved prediction of adverse pregnancy outcomes and future cardio-metabolic pathologies in GDM women and their children is imperative. Several genomic and epigenetic approaches have been used to identify the genes, genetic variants, metabolic pathways, and epigenetic modifications involved in GDM to determine its etiology. In this article, we explore these factors as well as how their functional effects may contribute to immediate and future pathologies in women with GDM and their offspring from birth to adulthood. We also discuss how these approaches contribute to the changes in different molecular pathways that contribute to the GDM pathogenesis, with a special focus on the development of insulin resistance.     

The effect of pH,solid content,water chemistry and ore mineralogy on the galvanic interactions between chalcopyrite and pyrite and steel balls

The role of pH, solid content, water chemistry and ore mineralogy on the galvanic interactions between chalcopyrite and pyrite and low alloy steel balls were investigated in the grinding of Sarcheshmeh porphyry copper sulfide ore. All these factors strongly affect the galvanic current between the minerals and the steel during the grinding process. The galvanic current density decreased as the solution pH and percent solids increased. In addition, changing the water in the ball mill from tap to distilled water reduced the galvanic current between the minerals and the balls. Potentiodynamic polarization curves showed that pyrite and chalcopyrite demonstrated typical active-passive-transpassive anodic behavior in the grinding of copper ore. However, the nature of their transitions from the active to the passive state differed. This behavior was not seen in the grinding of pure minerals. In addition, an EDTA extraction technique was employed to quantify the amount of oxidized iron in the mill discharge. The amount of extractable iron was influenced by the same experimental factors and in the same way as the galvanic current.     

Theoretical and experimental investigation of CO2 solubility in nanofluids containing NaP zeolite nanocrystals and [C12mim][Cl] ionic liquid

Today, CO₂ separation is very important, both as an environmental issue and also in various industries. In this study, the water-based nanofluid of NaP zeolite nanocrystals and 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C₁₂mim][Cl]) ionic liquid were mixed and tested experimentally for CO₂ absorption in an isothermal high pressure cell equipped with magnetic stirring. Zeolite nanocrystals were synthesized via the hydrothermal approach and characterized. A series of experiments were performed at different conditions to investigate the impact of various parameters, including nanoparticle type, nanoparticle concentration, stabilizer concentration, and the vessel's initial pressure, on CO₂ solubility. It was found that 0.02 wt.% of zeolite nanoparticles, 0.4 wt.% of [C₁₂mim][Cl] ionic liquid, and 0.05 wt.% of sodium dodecyl benzene sulphonate (SDBS) in nanofluids result in higher absorption of CO₂ compared to other concentrations. Furthermore, CO₂ absorption was increased by increasing ionic liquid and surfactant concentration up to a certain value near critical micelle concentration, but after that the CO₂ absorption was decreased. The overall CO₂ absorption enhancement at 20 bar for 0.02 wt.% zeolite and ZnO water-based nanofluids with 0.4% [C₁₂mim][Cl] ionic liquid and 0.02 wt.% SDBS were 26.9%, 21.5%, 21.2%, and 17% in comparison to pure water, respectively. In an absorption process using nanofluids, besides the influence of the mentioned parameters, the micro-convection caused by Brownian motion and the grazing effect of nanoparticles should be noted. Considering the micro-convection and grazing effects, a theoretical model should take into account the Brownian motion and grazing effects on the mass transfer rate in nanofluids to investigate the absorption enhancement by nano-particles.     

INFLUENCE OF HEAT TRANSFER IN THE SQUEEZING FLOW BETWEEN PARALLEL DISKS

This article addresses the squeezing flow and heat transfer between parallel disks when one disk is impermeable and the other is porous. Appropriate similarity transformations are invoked to convert the partial differential equations into ordinary ones. Expressions for velocity and temperature fields have been obtained by homotopy analysis method (HAM). The effects of embedding parameters such as squeeze number (S), Hartman number (M), Prandtl number (Pr), and Eckert number (Ec) are analyzed through graphs for the velocity and temperature profiles and tables for skin friction coefficient and local Nusselt number. It is observed that the series solutions are convergent only at third-order of approximation. The obtained results for velocity are also compared with the homotopy perturbation method (Domairry and Aziz, 2009).     

SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS OF ANIONIC SURFACTANT AND NONIONIC POLYMER ADDITIVES ON DRAG REDUCTION

Turbulent drag reduction (DR) behavior of mixed nonionic polymer and anionic surfactant solutions in water was studied in a pipeline set up to explore the synergic effects of mixed additives on DR. The concentration of polymer polyethylene oxide (PEO) was varied from 0 to 2000 ppm and the concentration of surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was varied from 0 to 5000 ppm. The critical aggregation concentration (CAC), where the interaction between the polymer and the surfactant begins, and the polymer saturation point (PSP), where the polymer molecules become saturated with the surfactant, were determined using electrical conductivity and surface tension measurements. As the polymer concentration was increased the CAC decreased but the PSP increased. The relative viscosity showed a remarkable increase upon the addition of surfactant to the polymer solution due to extension of polymer chains caused by the formation of micelles on the backbone of the polymer molecules. The data exhibited a considerable increase in DR in the case of mixed polymer/surfactant systems. The percent reduction in friction factor was as high as 79 when 3000 ppm or more surfactant was added to the 500 ppm polymer solution. Furthermore, the drag reduction behavior of the polymer solution changed from so-called Type A to Type B. In Type A drag reduction, a transition from laminar to turbulent regime is observed with a clear-cut onset point. In Type B drag reduction, no transition or onset point is observed; the data fall on a gradual extension of the laminar line.