Mueller matrix measurements of algae with different shape and size distributions

The full Mueller matrix was measured to obtain the polarization state of the scattered light for a variety of algae with different shapes, wall compositions, sizes, and refractive indices. The experimental setup was a multiple laser Mueller matrix ellipsometer, by which measurements were performed for scattering angles from 16° to 160° sampled at every second degree for wavelengths of 473?nm and 532?nm. Previously, the polarization of light scattered from microalgae was investigated only for a few species, and the Mueller matrix was found to have little variation between the species. In our work a total of 11 algal species were investigated, representing diatoms, dinoflagellates, coccolithophorids, green algae, and a cryptophyte. The selection of species was made to obtain high variability in shape, size, cell wall, and refractive index. As in previous investigations, very small variations were found between species for most of the Mueller matrix elements, but noticeable variations were found for M(11), (M(12)+M(21))/2 and (M(33)+M(44))/2.     

Trans Isomers of EPA and DHA in Omega-3 Products on the European Market

The levels of trans isomers of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in 77 omega-3 products on the European market have been studied. Fatty acids were analyzed as fatty acid methyl esters by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector, using a cyanopropyl coated stationary phase. The amount of mono-trans EPA isomers relative to the corresponding all-cis isomer ranged from 0.19 to 4.5?%. The corresponding values for mono-trans DHA relative to the all-cis isomer ranged from 0.25 to 5.9?%. There was a strong correlation between the degree of isomerization of EPA and DHA, showing that DHA was 1.26 times more isomerized than EPA. Division of the samples into different product groups showed that samples with a low degree of isomerization were found in all groups, except one. This shows that a high degree of isomerization is avoidable, and also points to deodorization of the oils as the main source of trans isomers.     

Ralstonia sp. U2 naphthalene dioxygenase and Comamonas sp. JS765 nitrobenzene dioxygenase show differences in activity towards methylated naphthalenes

Methylsubstituted naphthalenes constitute a significant part of light gas oil fractions (LGO). These are toxic compounds with low fuel value, and can potentially be enzymatically modified to increase the fuel value and at the same time reduce toxicity. The first step in the biodegradation of naphthalene involves dioxygenation of the aromatic ring catalysed by naphthalene dioxygenase (NDO). Here we show that recombinantly produced NDO from Ralstonia sp. U2 and the related nitrobenzene dioxygenase (NBDO) from Comamonas sp. JS765 can use several mono-, di-, tri-, and tetramethylated naphthalenes as substrates. For the majority of the substrates both enzymes catalyse the formation of a mixture of mono- and dioxygenated products, and it is only dioxygenated products that are likely to be processed further, leading to ring cleavage. In some cases, like for 1-methylnaphthalene, NDO mainly generates the monooxygenated form, while with NBDO, the dioxygenated form dominates. In other cases, as for 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene, the monooxygenated product dominates with NDO, whereas NBDO generates similar amounts of both forms. Presumably, the best future strategy for bioconversion of methylated naphthalenes in LGO is to develop engineered enzyme that are optimised with respect to the specific composition of naphthalene derivatives found in a given product.