Determination of Tetrachloroethylene in Cocoa Butter

The method for the quantitative determination of tetrachloroethylene traces in cocoa butter was elaborated. Gas chromatography with the use of the head space technique was adopted. The corresponding calibration curve was estimated and the results were subjected to a statistical evaluation. The elaborated analytical method was exploited for quantitative determination of tetrachloroethylene in cocoa butter samples, which were industrially obtained from cocoa beans from various cocoa trees breading regions.     

Evaluation of Lipids Oxidation and Effectiveness of Antioxidants in W/O Emulsions

The method of investigation of autoxidation in W/O emulsions is presented. Emulsions containing five fatty substances were subjected to autoxidation. The influence of the fatty phase compositions on their resistance to oxidative processes was examined. The effectiveness of five antioxidants on the autoxidation process was determined.     

One-Step Synthesis of W/O and O/W Emulsifiers in the Presence of Surface Active Agents

The main goal of this study was to describe the method of the synthesis of the dodecyl-, tetradecyl-, hexadecyl- and octadecyl-propylene glycol emulsifiers in the presence of selected anionic and nonionic surfactants. Acyl propylene glycol emulsifiers were produced by esterification of propane–1,2-diol (propylene glycol, PG) with C_12:0–C_18:0 fatty acids in the presence of anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and nonionic-poly(ethylene glycol) monolaurate (PEGML). The presence of SDS and PEGML in the reaction system caused microemulsion formation. Depending on the structure and amount of the surfactant in the system reactions proceeded at different rates and with different efficiency levels. The esterification of propylene glycol carried out under applied conditions causes products with the desired contents of propylene glycol monoesters (MAPG) to be obtained in a one-step reaction. Knowledge of the reaction kinetics creates the possibility to program the composition and properties of the synthesized emulsifiers. The interaction of nonionic, lipophilic MAPG with anionic, hydrophilic SDS or nonionic, hydrophilic PEGML influences the hydrophile–lipophile balance (HLB) values of the products which may be used to stabilize water-in-oil (W/O) and oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. Use of the synthesized compounds allows stable emulsions to be prepared which include the following vegetable fats in the oil phase: mango oil, palm oil, shorea butter and hydrogenated soybean oil.     

Influence of heat flux on the minimum liquid flow rate required for complete wetting of a horizontal tube surface

An experimental study is described, concerning the influence of the heat flux through a wetted surface of a horizontal tube and of the temperature of a wetting liquid on the minimum liquid flow rate required for complete wetting of the tube. The results are presented in the form of correlating equations. Good agreement was found with the theoretical predictions of Zuber and Staub.     

Effect of micropore structure on cellular concrete shrinkage

This paper presents the results of studies on the effect of micropore structure on the shrinkage of autoclaved cellular concrete with sand aggregate. It has been found that the shrinkage of cellular concrete is the function of volume and specific surface of micropores of radii $\text{75 <}\text{r}\text{< 625}\text{A}\text{?}$. On the base of mathematical analysis the requirements concerning the micropore structure of cellular concrete have been proposed to ensure the proper shrinkage characteristic of this material.     

Investigation of Polyacrylate Anion-Exchangers for Separation of Rare Earth Element Complexes with EDTA

The rare earth complexes with EDTA, Ln(edta), show an unusual sequence of affinity for the anion-ex-changers. The sorption and chromatographic separation of y3 for Nd3 complexes with EDTA was studied by using the strongly basic gel and macroporous polyacrylate anion-exchangers, Amberlite IRA 458 and Amberlite 958, and the weakly basic gel polyacrylate anion-exchanger, Amherlite IRA-68. The investigations on sorption and separation of rare earth complexes with EDTA on the polyacrylate anion-exchangers applied mainly in the environment protection so far indicate that they can he applied in anionexchange separation of lanthanide complexes with aminopolycarboxylic acids. It was shown that the weakly basic polyacrylate gel anion-exchanger Amberlite IRA-68 is the most effective in purification of y3 from Nd3 in comparison with the strongly basic anion-exchangers of this type.     

Steroid-Functionalized Imidazolium Salts with an Extended Spectrum of Antifungal and Antibacterial Activity

It is established that high rates of morbidity and mortality caused by fungal infections are related to the current limited number of antifungal drugs and the toxicity of these agents. Imidazolium salts as azole derivatives can be successfully used in the treatment of fungal infections in humans. Steroid-functionalized imidazolium salts were synthesized using a new, more efficient method. As a result, 20 salts were obtained with high yields, 12 of which were synthesized and characterized for the first time. They were derivatives of lithocholic acid and 3-oxo-23,24-dinorchol-4-ene-22-al and were fully characterized by ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Due to the excellent activity against bacteria and Candida albicans, new research was extended to include tests on five species of pathogenic fungi and molds: Aspergillus niger ATCC 16888, Aspergillus fumigatus ATCC 204305, Trichophyton mentagrophytes ATCC 9533, Cryptococcus neoformans ATCC 14116, and Microsporum canis ATCC 11621. The results showed that the new salts are almost universal antifungal agents and have a broad spectrum of activity against other human pathogens. To initially assess the safety of the synthesized salts, hemocompatibility with host cells and cytotoxicity were also examined. No toxicity was observed at the concentration at which the compounds were active against pathogens.     

Study on iron availability from prepared soybean sprouts using an iron-deficient rat model

During soya seeds germination in FeSO₄ solutions their phytoferritin content is multiplied. Prepared soybean sprouts have been proposed as a safe and easily available source of iron supplementation. The preparation was compared with FeSO₄ and ferritin isolates, using rats with induced iron deficiency anaemia. After the end of the 2-week supplementation experiment, it was observed that no statistically significant differences in haemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration existed between those animals supplemented with sprouts enriched in ferritin, ferritin isolate and FeSO₄ and healthy animals forming the control group. Moreover, the examined preparation had a beneficial influence on the recreation of ferritin reserves in both the liver and the blood serum, and also did not induce negative alterations in general growth parameters of animals. Use of an easily obtainable ferritin iron source may be a profitable alternative in supplementation due to its wide availability and food preservative properties.     

Instant food products as a source of silicon

Silicon is a trace element for humans, and is absorbed from food in the form of orthosilicic acid. Instant food products are part of a constantly growing market of convenience foods, which have not been evaluated yet as sources of silicon. In this study the total and soluble silicon contents in different instant food products were determined by using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS). A selection of instant products commercially available in Wroclaw were analyzed: soups, main courses, coffee drinks, jellies and puddings. Total silicon contents in soups, main courses and coffee drinks ranged widely and reached the values: 0.10–30.20, 0.63–37.91 and 0.21–13.37 mg/serving, respectively. These products contained 0.05–1.26 mg of soluble silicon per serving. The total silicon content in jellies and puddings did not exceed 0.36 mg and 2.42 mg/serving, respectively. Among the analyzed desserts the highest level of soluble silicon was found in chocolate puddings: 0.36–0.41 mg/serving. The silicon level in servings of the studied instant products when prepared with the appropriate amount of water was also estimated. The mean content of silicon determined in samples of drinking water from Wroc?aw and the vicinity, which was used for the estimation, amounted to 7.09 mg/l. The total silicon content in ready-to-eat products ranged from 1.32 to 39.21 mg/serving. In conclusion, some of the analyzed instant foods contained very high amounts of silicon, however the content of the soluble, and hence available, form of this element was low.     

Vitamin B1 and B2, dietary fiber and minerals content of Cruciferae sprouts

The contents in selected Cruciferae seeds and ready-to-eat sprouts of thiamine (B₁) and riboflavin (B₂) were determined by HPLC methodology. The content of soluble and insoluble fractions of dietary fiber was determined by the enzymatic method. In addition, the calcium, magnesium, zinc, cooper, ferrum and manganese concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry and after that the correlation between some mineral content and the ability of seeds and sprouts phosphate buffered saline extracts to scavenge the superoxide anion radicals in vitro was investigated. The small radish, radish, rapeseeds and white mustard seeds contained vitamin B₁ in the range from 0.41 up to 0.70 mg/100 g d.m., however its amount found in the ready-to-eat sprouts were lower by 46, 39, 42 and 47%, respectively. In contrast, the content of vitamin B₂ in the ready-to-eat sprouts showed approximately three-fold higher content when compared to its range found in the seeds (0.096 mg/100 g d.m up to 0.138 mg/100 g d.m.). The total dietary fiber content in ready-to-eat sprouts, including the soluble and insoluble forms, was 20% higher when compared to the seeds and the proportion of insoluble to soluble fiber was about two-fold higher in radish sprouts, four-fold higher in rapeseed sprouts, and six and nine-fold higher in small radish and white mustard sprouts, respectively. The sprouts contained higher amounts of Ca, Mg, Cu and Zn approximately by 12, 14, 25 and 45%, respectively, when compared to the seeds. The similar beneficial changes were noted for Cu and Zn. Their amount noted in sprouts was higher by average of 25% for Cu and by 45% for Zn. No changes in Mn and Fe levels were found between seeds and sprouts. One exception was only made to Fe content in the white mustard sprouts in which the Fe amount was lower than that found in the seeds. The SOD-like activities of the seed extracts were positively correlated only with the manganese level (r=0.94), however, this correlation was not found in ready-to-eat sprouts. No other correlations were found between SOD-like activity and microelements contents in the seeds and sprouts.