Screening of South African Food Plants for Antioxidant Activity

ABSTRACT: In a screening of South African indigenous food plants for antioxidant activity by testing for inhibition of lipid peroxidation, the "potherbs" Amaranthus sp., Sisymbrium thellungii , and Urtica dioica had very high activity. This activity was greatest in the boiled extract of Amaranthus sp. and the boilet and aqueous extracts of Sisymbrium thellungii and Urtica dioica. The activity in the aqueous extract of Nasturtium aquatica was lost by boiling. High activity was also obtained with the teas Galium aparine and Aspalathus linearis (Rooibos) and with the tuber Colocasia esculenta.     

Trypsin inhibitor activity of soybean as affected by genotype and fertilisation

The presence of protease inhibitors in soybean prohibits the utilisation of the raw beans for food and feed. However, little information is available about environmental influences and the effects of nitrogen and sulphur supply on the antinutritional constituents of soybean. As these factors may influence protease inhibitors, soybean genotypes segregated according to the presence or absence of the Kunitz trypsin inhibitor have been evaluated for trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA) in field trials. TIA was affected significantly by environment (geographical location), fertilisation treatment and genotype. Environmental means of TIA were between 69.5 and 104.8 mg g^?1. Nitrogen application, which caused an increase in seed protein content, resulted in a reduction in TIA by about 15% as compared with the control. Remarkably, simultaneous application of nitrogen and sulphur in the form of ammonium sulphate had a similar reductive effect on TIA to that of nitrogen application alone, although soybean protease inhibitors are rich in sulphur amino acids. Significant genetic variation in TIA was found both within the genotype class with the Kunitz inhibitor present as well as within the class lacking this inhibitor. The results suggest that TIA of soybean may be modified considerably by genetic improvement and appropriate agronomic management. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of surfactants on phenol removal by the method of polymerization and precipitation catalysed by Coprinus cinereus peroxidase

The removal of phenol by peroxidase‐catalysed polymerization was examined using Coprinus cinereus peroxidase in the presence of surfactants. The non‐ionic surfactants with poly(oxyethene) residues, Triton X‐100, Triton X‐405 and Tween 20, enhanced the phenol removal efficiency at a level similar to high relative molecular mass poly(ethylene glycol) (relative molecular mass 3000). Although the improvement in the removal efficiency was less than that of Triton X‐100, Span 20, sodium lauryl sulfate (SDS) and lauryl trimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) also enhanced the removal efficiency. The requirement of the enzyme for almost 100% removal of 100 mg dm^?3 phenol decreased to one‐fourth by the addition of 30 mg dm^?3 Triton X‐100. Triton X‐100, Triton X‐405, Tween 20 and DTAB could reactivate the enzyme precipitated with the phenol polymer, leading to the restarting of the phenol removal reaction. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Complete oxidation of methane at low temperature over Pt and Pd catalysts for the abatement of lean-burn natural gas fuelled vehicles emissions: influence of water and sulphur containing compounds

The catalytic activity of fresh Pd and Pt catalysts supported on γ-alumina in the complete oxidation of CH₄ traces under lean-burn conditions was studied in the presence or the absence of water or H₂S. Steam-aged catalysts were also studied in order to simulate long-term ageing in real lean-burn natural gas fuelled vehicles (NGVs) exhaust conditions. Without water or H₂S added to the feed, Pd catalysts exhibit a superior catalytic activity in methane oxidation compared to Pt ones, whatever the catalysts were fresh or aged. The addition of 10 vol.% water vapour to the feed strongly affects the activity of the fresh Pd catalyst, thus being only slightly more efficient than the fresh Pt one. H₂S has a strong poisoning effect on the catalytic activity of Pd catalysts, while Pt catalysts are more resistant. The fresh H₂S-poisoned Pd/Al₂O₃ catalyst was studied by TPD in O₂/He. Poisoning species decompose above 873 K as SO₂ and O₂ in relative concentrations consistent with the decomposition of surface sulphate species. However, a treatment in O₂/He at temperatures as high as 923 K does not allow the complete regeneration of the catalytic activity of H₂S-poisoned Pd/Al₂O₃. A mechanism involving the poisoning of PdO by sulphate species is proposed. Different diffusion processes by which these sulphate species can migrate back and forth between PdO and the support, depending on the experimental conditions, are suggested.     

采用活性非均匀分布催化剂中变反应器的模拟计算

模拟计算表明:采用活性趋于表层的分布,可以较明显地提高国产中温变换催化剂的内表面利用率,有效地节省催化剂用量,而对“热点”温度没有多大影响。     

烃类在三甘醇和四甘醇中无限稀释活度系数的测定与关联

用气相色谱法分别测定了苯、甲苯、乙苯、正庚烷、正辛烷、正壬烷和正癸烷在三甘醇和四甘醇中的无限稀释活度系数 ,测定温度范围为 5 0～ 13 0℃。用修正的UNIFAC模型 (Dortmund)对上述不同温度下的无限稀释活度系数实验数据进行关联 ,得到了三甘醇和四甘醇与其它基团的相互作用参数 ,并将计算结果与实测值进行了比较。     

复合脱氧剂对纯净钢生产的影响

论述复合脱氧剂的一般化学特性，并以碳化硅和硅铝铁两种复合脱氧剂为例，讨论其对改善钢的质量，进行纯净钢生产的影响。     

单元系T—p相图的数学结构

作者以化学元素的稳定单质为基准,推演出了任意物质M_i(相态Ω)的热力学生成活度{相态Ω)的函数形式:?D_Ω数值的大小体现着相态Ω的热力学相对稳定性.根据集合论原理沿D(稳定性)座标取极大值的方法把物理性质互不连续的各个异相态连结在一起,建立了单元系在T-p面上的优势分布方程(PSDE):■作者以H_2O为实例,计算了T-p相图,与实验相图基本一致.     

Investigation of the Interaction of Sodium Chloride and Two Amino Sulfonic Acids,HEPES and MOPSO,by EMF Measurements

Ionic interactions in the two systems NaCl-HEPES (N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N′-2-ethanesulfonic acid) and NaCl-MOPSO (3-(N-Morpholino)-2-hydroxypropanesulfonic acid) have been studied in terms of their mutual influence on the respective activity coefficients of each component. Activity coefficients for each component of the two systems and for corresponding buffers are calculated from emf measurements of solutions containing NaCl, the aminosulfonic acid, and its conjugate base in a NalSE/solution/AgCl-Ag cell at 5, 15, 25, and 37 °C.     

一种新型有机锗化合物的合成及其抗癌性

癌症是当今人类疾病中的第一杀手,寻找新的药物预防和医治癌症是21世纪有机化学的重要研究课题之一。本文报道了一种新型有机锗化合物的合成,它对肺腺癌细胞生长抑制率达88%。