In vitro antioxidant/free radical scavenging and antibacterial properties of endemic oregano and thyme extracts from Greece

The present investigation was to evaluate the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of hexane and methanol extracts from Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum and Thymus vulgaris (Komotini, Greece). The methanol extracts of oregano and thyme against DPPH radical were more active than the hexane extracts (mean values 0.94 and 0.47, respectively) and oregano exhibited stronger activity than thyme (mean values 0.82 and 0.55, respectively). The results from the β-carotene/linoleic acid assay showed that all plant extracts inhibited linoleic acid oxidation up to 70.78±1.17%. The oregano extracts exhibited the strongest inhibition against Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus using the disc diffusion assay. The chemical composition of the hexane and methanol extracts, by using GC-MS, showed that carvacrol, thymol, and p-cymene were the most prominent compounds. The methanol extract of oregano was found the most potent antioxidant with the highest content of total phenolics (138.92 mg GA/g extract) and carvacrol (76.7%).     

Shear and extensional rheology of selected polysaccharides

Rheology is used for the elucidation of the flow properties of polysaccharide solutions. For a given polysaccharide, both shear and extensional rheological experiments should be performed for the full characterisation of its flow properties. The provided information will facilitate the efficient exploitation of a polysaccharide in various applications. Although shear rheology is widely used in polysaccharides’ characterisation, there are only limited extensional rheology studies due to lack of reliable techniques in the formation of pure extensional flow. However, recently, several commercial extensional rheometers have been developed and thus, accurate extensional experiments can now be performed. The present work initially presents the principles and concepts of both shear and extensional rheology and then reports rheological findings for solutions of various polysaccharides and their derivatives. Xanthan and various members of the galactomannan, cellulose and alginate families were selected.     

Processing and storage effects on the oxidative stability of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) oil‐in‐water emulsions

Hempseed oil was used to form oil‐in‐water emulsions, and the effect of heating, storage and light on the oxidative stability of the dispersed phase was investigated. Lipid oxidation rate increased following thermal processing and light exposure, whereas oxidation markers remained relatively unaffected during emulsions storage at 4 °C for 10 days. Induction times of the emulsions were reduced up to 26% and the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances increased up to 4.5‐fold, depending on the processing conditions. Selected berries as potential sources of natural antioxidants were screened for polyphenol and anthocyanin content in order to investigate their ability to retard lipid oxidation in comparison with a commercially available synthetic counterpart. Raspberry powder extract significantly improved the oxidative stability of hemp‐based emulsion compared with the control and was even more effective compared to a synthetic antioxidant when samples were subjected to heat treatment.     

“The Easier the Better” Preparation of Efficient Photocatalysts—Metastable Poly(heptazine imide) Salts

Cost‐efficient, visible‐light‐driven hydrogen production from water is an attractive potential source of clean, sustainable fuel. Here, it is shown that thermal solid state reactions of traditional carbon nitride precursors (cyanamide, melamine) with NaCl, KCl, or CsCl are a cheap and straightforward way to prepare poly(heptazine imide) alkali metal salts, whose thermodynamic stability decreases upon the increase of the metal atom size. The chemical structure of the prepared salts is confirmed by the results of X‐ray photoelectron and infrared spectroscopies, powder X‐ray diffraction and electron microscopy studies, and, in the case of sodium poly(heptazine imide), additionally by atomic pair distribution function analysis and 2D powder X‐ray diffraction pattern simulations. In contrast, reactions with LiCl yield thermodynamically stable poly(triazine imides). Owing to the metastability and high structural order, the obtained heptazine imide salts are found to be highly active photocatalysts in Rhodamine B and 4‐chlorophenol degradation, and Pt‐assisted sacrificial water reduction reactions under visible light irradiation. The measured hydrogen evolution rates are up to four times higher than those provided by a benchmark photocatalyst, mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride. Moreover, the products are able to photocatalytically reduce water with considerable reaction rates, even when glycerol is used as a sacrificial hole scavenger.     

The Study of a 231 French Patient Cohort Significantly Extends the Mutational Spectrum of the Two Major Usher Genes MYO7A and USH2A

Usher syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by congenital hearing loss combined with retinitis pigmentosa, and in some cases, vestibular areflexia. Three clinical subtypes are distinguished, and MYO7A and USH2A represent the two major causal genes involved in Usher type I, the most severe form, and type II, the most frequent form, respectively. Massively parallel sequencing was performed on a cohort of patients in the context of a molecular diagnosis to confirm clinical suspicion of Usher syndrome. We report here 231 pathogenic MYO7A and USH2A genotypes identified in 73 Usher type I and 158 Usher type II patients. Furthermore, we present the ACMG classification of the variants, which comprise all types. Among them, 68 have not been previously reported in the literature, including 12 missense and 16 splice variants. We also report a new deep intronic variant in USH2A. Despite the important number of molecular studies published on these two genes, we show that during the course of routine genetic diagnosis, undescribed variants continue to be identified at a high rate. This is particularly pertinent in the current era, where therapeutic strategies based on DNA or RNA technologies are being developed.     

Autoinducer-2-like activity in lactic acid bacteria isolated from minced beef packaged under modified atmospheres

Fifteen fingerprints (assigned to Leuconostoc spp., Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Weissella viridescens, Leuconostoc citreum, and Lactobacillus sakei) of 89 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from minced beef stored under modified atmospheres at various temperatures were screened for their ability to exhibit autoinducer-2 (AI-2)-like activity under certain growth conditions. Cellfree meat extracts (CFME) were collected at the same time as the LAB isolates and tested for the presence of AI-2-like molecules. All bioassays were conducted using the Vibrio harveyi BAA-1117 (sensor 1(-), sensor 2(+)) biosensor strain. The possible inhibitory effect of meat extracts on the activity of the biosensor strain was also evaluated. AI-2-like activity was observed for Leuconostoc spp. isolates, but none of the L. sakei strains produced detectable AI-2-like activity. The AI-2-like activity was evident mainly associated with the Leuconostoc sp. B 233 strain, which was the dominant isolate recovered from storage at 10 and 15°C and at the initial and middle stages of storage at chill temperatures (0 and 5°C). The tested CFME samples displayed low AI-2-like activity and inhibited AI-2 activity regardless of the indigenous bacterial populations. The LAB isolated during meat spoilage exhibited AI-2-like activity, whereas the LAB strains retrieved depended on storage time and temperature. The production of AI-2-like molecules may affect the dominance of different bacterial strains during storage. The results provide a basis for further research concerning the effect of storage temperature on the expression of genes encoding AI-2 activity and on the diversity of the ephemeral bacterial population.     

Structural Properties of Dried Potatoes,Mushrooms, and Strawberries as a Function of Freeze-Drying Pressure

The structural and thermophysical properties of freeze-dried agricultural products (potatoes, mushrooms, and strawberries) were investigated to determine whether these properties were affected by freeze drying conditions. The true density of freeze-dried products was measured with a helium stereopycnometer, and apparent density was obtained by measuring their geometric characteristics. Porosity and pore size distribution were also measured with a mercury porosimeter. The mechanical properties of freeze-dried agricultural products were obtained using a universal testing machine. Dried products were equilibrated in saturated salt solutions of constant water activity and scanned with a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) for the evaluation of glass transition temperature. Simple mathematical models were developed in order to correlate the structural and mechanical properties with process conditions. The apparent density and mechanical properties of freeze-dried products increased with the applied freeze-drying pressure, whereas the porosity decreased. The glass transition temperature decreased with the increment of moisture content and it was not highly influenced by process conditions.     

Facile Reduction of Nitroarenes into Anilines and Nitroalkanes into Hydroxylamines via the Rapid Activation of Ammonia⋅ Borane Complex by Supported Gold Nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles supported on titania catalyse, even at a ppm loading level, the quantitative reduction of nitroarenes into anilines and nitroalkanes into alkylhydroxylamines by the ammonia⋅ borane complex. No dehalohalogenation was seen in the case of chloro‐ or bromonitroarenes, while ester, cyano, or carboxylic acid functionalities also remain intact. The nitroarene to aniline reduction pathway does not require nitrosoarenes as intermediate products.     

The potential of producing heterotrophic bacteria biomass on aquaculture waste

The effluent from the drumfilter of a recirculation aquaculture system was used as substrate to produce heterotrophic bacteria in suspended growth reactors. The effects of organic carbon supplementation (0, 3, 6, 8 g/l sodium acetate) and of hydraulic retention times (11-1h) on bacteria biomass production and nutrient conversion were investigated. Bacteria production, expressed as volatile suspended solids (VSS), was enhanced by organic carbon supplementation, resulting in a production of 55-125 g VSS/kg fish feed (0.2-0.5 g VSS/g carbon). Maximum observed crude protein production was approximately 100 g protein/kg fish feed. The metabolic maintenance costs were 0.08 Cmol/Cmol h, and the maximum growth rate was 0.25-0.5 h(-1). Ninety percent of the inorganic nitrogenous and 80% of ortho-phosphate were converted. Producing bacteria on the drumfilter effluent results in additional protein retention and lowers overall nutrient discharge from recirculation aquaculture systems.