Effect of long term ingestion of gum arabic on the adipose tissues of female mice

Abdominal obesity is the most prevalent manifestation of metabolic syndrome. The anti-obese effects of dietary fiber is generally accepted, but specifically the anti-obese properties of the dietary fiber, gum arabic (GA) has not been well studied. In this investigation, we offered GA to the female 90 days old mice in the form of drink (1% w/v) for 180 days. Such GA in drinking water reduced age-dependent fat deposition in the visceral adipose tissue and improved the gastrocnemius muscle reduction. This inhibition of fat deposition effect is due to the β3-adrenergic stimulation of adipocytes in which TNFα down-regulation is probably involved. Modification of large intestinal microflora, as evidenced by a modification of cecal short-chain fatty acid profile and of 16S rDNA profile, may contribute to such reduction in TNFα expression in the adipose tissues.     

Ultra-high pressure sterilization of powdery food stuff—a new application of a roller compactor

A new non-heating technique was developed for the sterilization of food stuff. Applying a roller compactor, ultra-high pressure sterilization has experimentally demonstrated its ability to sterilize dry powders, such as corn flour and Chinese herbs, with little quality deterioration. Also, the degree of food sterilization was found correlated well with the linear press forces between the rollers, roller gaps, and number of compaction passes. In comparison to the conventional high pressure sterilization technique, the new dry continuous processing method has the advantage of lower investment cost and is more versatile for sterilizing various food powders.     

Anionic polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of chromium carbonyl [Cr(CO)6]

Summary The presence of Cr(CO)₆ in nBuLi-initiated anionic polymerization of methyl methacrylates (MMA) was found to effectively enhance stereoselectivity of the polymerization in toluene at 0°C. nBuLi/Cr(CO)₆ afforded an isotactic PMMA with 86 % of mm triad, and the polymers obtained with nBuLi/Cr(CO)₆/tBuOK were rich in heterotactic structures (mr = ca. 54%). In both cases, the selectivity was improved in ca. 10% compared to those of the polymerization conducted under the similar conditions without Cr(CO)₆. Received: 20 January 2003/Revised version: 21 April 2003/Accepted: 21 April 2003 Correspondence to Eiji Ihara     

Liquid-phase photocatalytic degradation over tio2 particles suspending in gas-liquid dispersion

The photocatalytic degradation over TiO2 particles suspending in the gas-liquid dispersion was modeled by taking the decay of the illumination intensity in the gas-liquid-solid fluidized bed in terms of Lambert-Beer law into consideration. For the sake of experimental verification of the proposed model, the oxidative degradation of an acid dye (C.I. Acid Blue 40) as a model compound, was carried out using a coaxial double cylinder-type reactor (internal cylinder part: quartz glass cylinder installing black light type fluorescent tube as UV light source; annular part: gas-liquid-solid fluidized bed) newly manufactured here. The reactor is operated continuously with respect to the gas phase and batchwise with respect to the solid phase, whereas the liquid phase is recirculated. The degradation rate could be expressed apparently as first-order in the concentration of acid dye. The observed relationship between apparent degradation rate constant and solid (TiO2) loading could satisfactorily be interpreted in terms of the proposed model.     

Effect of Absolute Configuration on the Optical and NMR Properties of Oligonucleotides Containing Benzo[a]Pyrene Adducts at N 6 of Deoxyadenosine

For oligonucleotide duplexes derived from trans opening of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxides (BaP DEs) by the exocyclic N⁶-amino group of deoxyadenosine (dA), the hydrocarbon is intercalated toward the 5′-end of the modified strand when the configuration at the site of attachment of the base to the hydrocarbon (C-10) is R, and toward the 3′-end when this configuration is S. In oligonucleotide 11-mer duplexes modified by BaP DE-1 (benzylic 7-OH and epoxide oxygen cis) and DE-2 (7-OH and epoxide oxygen trans), as well as 7,8,9,10-tetrahydro BaP 9,10-epoxide, 10R adducts had consistently higher (5–9d°C) T_m values than the corresponding 10S adducts. Dodecamer duplexes from the HPRT gene with trans opened 10S (but not those with 10R) BaP DE-2 adducts at either of two adjacent dA residues exhibited blue shifts at ～350 nm at temperatures well below the T_m. We propose that these blue shifts result from a conformation in which the hydrocarbon is not stacked with the DNA bases.     

NOTE: SOLVENT EXTRACTION OF PLATINUM(IV) BY TRIOCTYLPHOSPHINE OXIDE

The equilibrium distribution of platinum(IV) between hydrochloric acid and trioctylphosphine oxide (T0P0) in toluene at 303 K was examined. From the concentration dependencies of the distribution ratio, it was determined that platinum(IV) is extracted as follows:

The extraction.equilibrium constant was found to be Ke = 3.6×10³.     

SOLVENT EXTRACTION OF ZINC FROM CHLORIDE MEDIA WITH SECONDARY LONG-CHAIN ALKYLAMINE

In the solvent extraction of zinc from chloride media with a secondary long-chain alkylamine, Amberlite LA-2, aggregations of ammonium chloride salt of alkylamine and zinc-complex with alkylamine and distribution equilibrium of zinc were investigated at 30 "C using n-hexane as a diluent. The ammonium chloride salt of alkylamine exists as monomeric, dimeric, trimeric and tetrameric species (BHCl, (BHCl)₂, (BHCl)₃ and (BHCl)₄, respectively). The zinc-complex exists as monomeric and dimeric species ((BH)₂ZnCl₄ and ((BH)₂ZnCl₄)₂, respectively). Zinc is extracted according to the extraction reaction in the lower loading region of zinc to alkylamine and according to the extraction reaction in the higher loading region.     

SOLVENT EXTRACTION EQUILIBRIA OF GALLIUM (III) WITH ACIDIC ORGANOPHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS FROM AQUEOUS NITRATE MEDIA

A comparative investigation on the solvent extraction equilibria of gallium(III) from aqueous nitrate media was conducted with three kinds of acidic organophosphorus compounds, di (2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), 2-ethylhexyl 2-ethyl-hexylphosphonic acid (EHEHPA) and di (2,4,4'-trimethylpentyl) phosphinic acid (DTMPPA), in toluene at 303 K. It was found that gallium(III) is extracted as 1:4 metal:reagent complexes with D2EHPA and EHEHPA and as a 1:3 complex with DTMPPA in the region of low loading ratio while it is extracted as 1:3 complexes with all reagents at high loading ratio. The extraction equilibrium constants with these extractants were evaluated for the former complexes as follows: K_e = 2.3xl0^-2, 8.5xl0^-3 and 1.3xl0^-4 for D2EHPA, EHEHPA and DTMPPA respectively.     

Adsorption of Metal Ions on A Novel Amine-Type Chelating Resin

Distribution equilibria were investigated for the adsorption of metal ions and acids on Sumichelate MC-10 resin, a polyethylene polyamine type of novel chelating resin. The total exchange capacities for HCl and HNO₃ were evaluated as 5.6 and 6.3 mol/kg dry resin, respectively. Adsorption of various divalent transition metals and precious metals was investigated from HCl on the chloride form of the resin. The adsorption of transition metals took place in the sequence Cd>Zn>Cu>Co>Mn. The adsorption of Pt(IV) was only slightly selective over Pd(II); however, the latter was selectively eluted with high concentrations of HCl. Adsorption of Ag(I), Zn(II) and Cu(II) was investigated from 1 mol/dm³ NH₄NO₃ on the free base form of the resin. It took place in the sequence Cu>Ag>Zn. The mechanism of the adsorption of metal ions mentioned above was qualitatively discussed.