Sustainable sunflower processing — I. Development of a process for the adsorptive decolorization of sunflower [Helianthus annuus L.] protein extracts

A novel process for the production of light-colored sunflower protein isolates was developed, combining mild-acidic protein extraction with adsorptive removal of phenolic compounds. Four commercial food-grade adsorbent and three ion exchange resins were tested with regard to their affinity towards polyphenols. Amberlite™ XAD 16HP and FPX 66 showed optimal decolorization of the sunflower crude extracts. In contrast, ion exchange resins exerted maximal binding of monomeric phenolic compounds, but were less effective in removing colored compounds. Adsorption behavior of individual resins was assessed by adding resin to protein extracts varying the amounts of resin, protein concentration of the solutions and temperature. Furthermore, a D-optimal experimental design was applied to optimize adsorptive polyphenol removal from sunflower protein extracts using a styrene–divinylbenzene copolymer. Adsorption isotherms were determined for 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid and total phenolics, respectively. Optimal conditions were deduced from experiments at different temperatures, with different flow rates and extract concentrations. Finally, adsorbent and ion exchange resin columns were connected in series and successfully applied to produce light-colored sunflower protein on a pilot scale under the conditions optimized in laboratory experiments, thus demonstrating that this technology can easily be integrated into existing process lines.

Industrial relevance

A vital necessity to exploit novel protein sources arises from the increasing demand for human nutrition. Residues originating from sunflower oil production are rich in proteins and might serve as a source of plant proteins, which has not been valorized so far. This is due to their high contents of phenolic compounds that may interfere with the proteins lowering their nutritional value and impairing their sensory properties. Therefore, a process for mild-acidic protein extraction combining adsorption and ion exchanger technology for the removal of polyphenols from crude sunflower extracts was developed in the present study.     

Porous ceramic bone scaffolds for vascularized bone tissue regeneration

Hydroxyapatite scaffolds with a multi modal porosity designed for use in tissue engineering of vascularized bone graft substitutes were prepared by three dimensional printing. Depending on the ratio of coarse (mean particle size 50 microm) to fine powder (mean particle size 4 microm) in the powder granulate and the sintering temperature total porosity was varied from 30% to 64%. While macroscopic pore channels with a diameter of 1 mm were created by CAD design, porosity structure in the sintered solid phase was governed by the granulate structure of the printing powder. Scaffolds sintered at 1,250 degrees C were characterized by a bimodal pore structure with intragranular pores of 0.3-0.4 microm and intergranular pores of 20 microm whereas scaffolds sintered at 1,400 degrees C exhibit a monomodal porosity with a maximum of pore size distribution at 10-20 microm. For in-vivo testing, matrices were implanted subcutaneously in four male Lewis rats. Scaffolds with 50% porosity and an average pore size of approximately 18 microm were successfully transferred to rats and vascularized within 4 weeks.     

Behavior of Cyclic Fatigue Cracks in Monolithic Silicon Nitride

Cyclic fatigue-crack propagation behavior in monolithic silicon nitride is characterized in light of current fatiguecrack growth models for ceramics toughened by grainbridging mechanisms, with specific emphasis on the role of load ratio. Such models are based on diminished cracktip shielding in the crack wake under cyclic loads due to frictional-wear degradation of the grain-bridging zone. The notion of cyclic crack growth promoted by diminished shielding is seen to be consistent with measured (long-crack) growth rates, fractography, in situ crack-profile analyses, and measurements of back-face strain compliance. Growth rates are found to display a much larger dependence on the maximum applied stress intensity, K _max than on the applied stress-intensity range, Δ K , with behavior described by the relationship da/dN ∞ K²⁹_maxΔK^1.3. Fatigue thresholds similarly exhibit a marked dependence on the load ratio, R = K _min/ K _max; such effects are shown to be inconsistent with traditional models of fatigue-crack closure. In particular, when characterized in terms of K _max growth rates below ∼10⁻⁹ m/cycle exhibit an inverse dependence on load ratio, an observation which is consistent with the grain-bridging phenomenon; specifically, with increasing R, the sliding disance between the grain bridges is decreased, leading to less frictional wear, and hence less degradation in shielding, per loading cycle. The microstructural origins of such behavior are discussed.     

Heat Treatment and Properties of Nitrogen Alloyed, Martensitic, Corrosion-resistant Steels

This paper gives a short introduction to the typical process route and material properties of these steels in comparison to standard martensitic corrosiun-resistant steels. The typical response of these steels to various heat treatment parameters is shown and explained using the three grades M333, N360 and M340 (all made by Boehler Edelstahl GmbH) as examples, and the physical metallurgy of these steels and its consequences for practical heat treatment is explained. The correlation between tempering parameters and their effect on the toughness and corrosion properties is explained in particular detail, showing that these new steels not only offer far better properly combinations under the usual heat treatment parameters than standard martensitic corrosion-resistant steels, but that they also open the door to extending heat treatment combinations and properties.     

Iridescent Colors from Films Made of Polymeric Core-Shell Particles

Summary Brilliant and angle-dependent iridescent colors were obtained from polymer films produced via colloidal crystallization of monodisperse core-shell particles by drying aqueous dispersions. By variation of the particle size, the brilliant color could be varied throughout the visible spectrum. The color effects of the smooth thin films exhibit excellent thermal and water stability. The morphology of the core-shell particles and the properties of the corresponding films were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and reflection spectrum measurements. The results indicate that the brilliance of the film is strongly dependent on size and quality of the crystalline domains.     

Carbohydrate molecular weight profiling, sequence, linkage, and branching data: ES-MS and CID

This section summarizes several strategies for a more complete understanding of carbohydrate structure with a focus on glycolipids and glycoprotein glycans. The techniques include periodate oxidation to impart greater molecular specificity to isomeric glycans, methylation to improve sensitivity and the information content within CID spectra, electrospray for "soft" and efficient ionization, and CID to obtain structural detail. The lipophilicity of the products following derivatization contributes to product cleanup by solvent extraction and enhances sensitivity during ES. When combined with CID information, this yields sequence, linkage, and branching information. Oxidation and reduction preceding methylation augments CID analysis with an altered structure that can be profiled at the same sensitivity. Within the context of established motifs, these contrasting profiles corroborate glycan structure and specifically identify isobaric elements transparent in the initial profile. An earlier report indicating ring-opening fragments were essentially absent in low-energy collisions of methylated and natriated oligosaccharides contrasts our observations. However, as this report used a methylated oligomer containing an internal N-acetylhexose as an illustration, the conclusion is plausible (cf., Figure 9). The poor ionization efficiency of FAB and the high matrix background limit the dynamic range in the CID spectrum and, thereby, the ability to unambiguously identify weaker peaks. It would be expected that high-energy CID affords a broader range of fragment types, including ring-opening fragments. In terms of a structural methodology, this is ambivalent since the increase in fragmentation pathways also applies to small molecule eliminations which are usually less informative. In ES-CID-MS, the carbohydrate chemist has a powerful new tool in hand for structural elucidations that can be conducted at the low-picomole level. Parallel developments can be expected to continue for other ionization methods, in particular matrix-assisted desorption/ionization on linear and reflectron time of flight mass spectrometers, and improvement in the performance and sensitivity of high-resolution mass analyzers through the use of focal plane detectors and more sophisticated hardware and software for Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass measurements. These have, as yet, only begun to be applied to carbohydrate structural analysis but should add still more versatility to experimental design in the future.