Functional lipid characteristics,oxidative stability,and antioxidant activity of macadamia nut (Macadamiaintegrifolia) cultivars

Phytochemical compounds (tocopherols, tocotrienols, and squalene) were measured in seven macadamia cultivars harvested from four locations on Hawaii island to establish whether these compounds enhance the oxidative stability of roasted kernels. Cultivars that had the greatest oxidative stability also had high total lipid-soluble antioxidant capacity. Tocopherols [delta (δ), gamma (γ), alpha (α)] were not detected in most macadamia nut samples, but macadamia kernels contained significant amounts of tocotrienols (31–92 μg/g oil) and squalene (72–171 μg/g oil) for all cultivars tested. This is the first report of variation for three tocotrienol homologs (δ-, γ-, α-T3) and total antioxidant capacity in macadamia nut cultivars. No statistical correlations were found between oxidative stability and tocopherol, tocotrienol, and squalene concentrations. However, two cultivars (HAES 294 and HAES 835) were identified with superior oxidative stability, suggesting that the kernel quality of these cultivars is more stable during storage.     

Effects of Seasonal Variation on Sensory Properties and Total Phenolic Content of 5 Lettuce Cultivars

ABSTRACT: Butterhead, crisphead, green leaf, red leaf, and romaine types of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) are all commonly available in U.S. markets. Sensory properties of lettuce may vary in response to environmental factors that often fluctuate widely throughout the growing season. Bitterness is generally thought to increase in lettuce grown at higher temperatures and may be related to phenolic content. This study evaluated sensory properties and total phenolic content of 5 lettuce cultivars harvested early, midway, and late in the growing season and investigated possible correlations with environmental temperature and light intensity indexes. Thirty panelists rated bitterness, appearance, flavor, texture, and overall acceptability of “Crisp and Green” (green leaf), “Crispino” (crisphead), “Green Forest” (romaine), “Lochness” (butterhead), and “Vulcan” (red leaf) lettuce. There was considerable variation in sensory ratings among the 5 cultivars (P < 0.005) but few differences within cultivars across the growing season. The crisphead cultivar, Crispino, received higher scores (P < 0.01) for flavor, texture, and overall acceptability and was rated less bitter (P < 0.05) than other cultivars. Total phenolic content varied significantly (P < 0.001) among cultivars with the red leaf cultivar, Vulcan, exhibiting the highest levels. There was no correlation between bitterness and total phenolic content or environmental factors. Differences among lettuce cultivars appear to have a larger impact on sensory and phenolic profiles than environmental variation during the growing season.     

Matrix importance in animal material pre-treatment for metal determination

A relatively cheap and accessible way to analyze difficult samples without loss of analyte was optimized for determination of Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, V and Zn in animal material. Reference materials with suitable matrix were used: Dorm-2 (Dogfish Muscle), Tort-2 (Lobster Hepatopancreas), and SRM 2976 (Mussel Tissue). The analytical procedure included digestion of the sample in Parr reactor bombs combined with a commercial microwave oven and metals analysis by atomic absorption spectrometry. A weak digestion procedure was optimized to prevent metal losses: a two-step digestion with an aqueous solution of HNO₃, each step carried at a microwave power of 340 W during 4 min. With the optimized procedure, metals concentrations in all reference materials matched certified ones (for a 95% level of confidence) with the exception of Cd in Tort-2 and Hg in SRM 2976. The present work reinforces the need to use matrix-matched reference materials and that any digestion protocol needs to be modified to maximize recoveries.     

Camptothecin‐7‐yl‐methanthiole: Semisynthesis and Biological Evaluation

The introduction of a methylenthiol group at position 7 of camptothecin was carried out in four steps. This preparation also yielded the corresponding disulfide, which behaves as a prodrug due to its reactivity with glutathione. Assessment of their antiproliferative activities, investigations of their mechanism of action, and molecular modeling analysis indicated that the 7‐modified camptothecin derivatives described herein maintain the biological activity and drug–target interactions of the parent compound.     

Characterization of different sugarcane bagasse ashes generated for preparation and application as green products in civil construction

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - The characterization and manipulation of solid residues according to their types can enable different ways of efficient and specialized applications in...     

Bayesian classification for the selection of in vitro human embryos using morphological and clinical data

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a medically assisted reproduction technique that enables infertile couples to achieve successful pregnancy. Given the uncertainty of the treatment, we propose an intelligent decision support system based on supervised classification by Bayesian classifiers to aid to the selection of the most promising embryos that will form the batch to be transferred to the woman's uterus. The aim of the supervised classification system is to improve overall success rate of each IVF treatment in which a batch of embryos is transferred each time, where the success is achieved when implantation (i.e. pregnancy) is obtained. Due to ethical reasons, different legislative restrictions apply in every country on this technique. In Spain, legislation allows a maximum of three embryos to form each transfer batch. As a result, clinicians prefer to select the embryos by non-invasive embryo examination based on simple methods and observation focused on morphology and dynamics of embryo development after fertilization. This paper proposes the application of Bayesian classifiers to this embryo selection problem in order to provide a decision support system that allows a more accurate selection than with the actual procedures which fully rely on the expertise and experience of embryologists. For this, we propose to take into consideration a reduced subset of feature variables related to embryo morphology and clinical data of patients, and from this data to induce Bayesian classification models. Results obtained applying a filter technique to choose the subset of variables, and the performance of Bayesian classifiers using them, are presented.     

Polylactic acid/nano chitosan composite fibers and their morphological,physical characterization for the removal of cadmium(II) from water

This work discusses the fabrication of polylactic acid (PLA)/nano chitosan (nCHS) composite fibers by electrospinning method for Cd²⁺ metal ion adsorption from water. Here nCHS was synthesized by ionic gelation method and which is used as a reinforcement for PLA. The scanning electron microscopic analysis revealed that the addition 0.1 wt% nCHS has decreased the fiber diameter as well as the secondary pore size and hence imparted unique properties to electrospun composite fibers. The positive zeta potential values for the composites indicated their higher stability, though; the inclusion of nCHS reduced the crystallinity of the neat membranes. The contact angle measurements showed that the hydrophilicity of the composite was increased up to 0.1 wt% nCHS, and hence the surface energy was increased. Inverse gas chromatography results suggested that the basic character of the composites has intensified with the increase in nCHS addition. The adsorption capacity of the neat electrospun PLA and PLA–nCHS composites for Cd²⁺ ions were investigated and studies revealed that adsorption capacity of the composite was two times faster (approximately 70%) in comparison with neat PLA fibers. The increase in surface area as well as presence nCHS improved the adsorption capacity of the electrospun membrane.     

Influence of the sea rush Juncus maritimus on metal concentration and speciation in estuarine sediment colonized by the plant

Metal accumulation by Juncus maritimus and the role of this plant on the physical and chemical composition of sediments, from the Douro river estuary (NW Portugal), were investigated. The contents of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn were determined (by atomic absorption spectrophotometry) in sediments, rhizosediments (those among plant roots and rhizomes), and different plant tissues (roots, rhizomes, leaves, and stems). Metal fractionation in sediments through sequential extraction was carried out and used for interpretation of sediment/J. maritimus interactions. Two estuarine sites with different characteristics were studied: site I displayed sandy sediment with lower organic matter and metals more weakly bound to it than site II sediment, which was muddy. At both sites, higher metal contents were observed in rhizosediments than in the surrounding sediment, but metals were more weakly bound to rhizosediment. Therefore, J. maritimus markedly influenced the sediments among its roots and rhizomes, changing metal distribution and speciation. Different patterns of both metal uptake and metal distribution among J. maritimus tissues were observed at the two sites. Plant bioaccumulation was only observed for Cd, Cu, and Zn, being similar for Cd atthe two sites and significantly higher for Cu and Zn (9 and 4 times higher, respectively) at site I. In conclusion, J. maritimus was shown to have potential for phytoextraction (or phytostabilization) of Cd, Cu, and Zn in estuarine environment. However, an eventual application of J. maritimus for this purpose will require a periodic removal of the plants together with their own rhizosediment.     

Gamma Irradiation of in-Shell and Blanched Peanuts Protects against Mycotoxic Fungi and Retains Their Nutraceutical Components during Long-Term Storage

Peanut samples were irradiated (0.0, 5.2, 7.2 or 10.0 kGy), stored for a year (room temperature) and examined every three months. Mycotoxic fungi (MF) were detected in non-irradiated blanched peanuts. A dose of 5.2 kGy was found suitable to prevent MF growth in blanched samples. No MF was detected in in-shell peanuts, with or without irradiation. The colors of the control in-shell and blanched samples were, respectively, 44.72 and 60.21 (L *); 25.20 and 20.38 (Chroma); 53.05 and 86.46 (°Hue). The water activities (Aw) were 0.673 and 0.425. The corresponding fatty acids were 13.33% and 12.14% (C16:0), 44.94% and 44.92% (C18:1, ω9) and 37.10% and 37.63% (C18:2, ω6). The total phenolics (TP) were 4.62 and 2.52 mg GAE/g, with antioxidant activities (AA) of 16.97 and 10.36 μmol TEAC/g. Storage time negatively correlated with Aw (in-shell peanuts) or L *, linoleic acid, TP and AA (in-shell and blanched peanuts) but positively correlated with Aw (blanched peanuts), and with oleic acid (in-shell and blanched peanuts). Irradiation positively correlated with antioxidant activity (blanched peanuts). No correlation was found between irradiation and AA (in-shell samples) or fatty acids and TP (in-shell and blanched peanuts). Irradiation protected against MF and retained both the polyunsaturated fatty acids and polyphenols in the samples.