Bovidae-based gelatin: Extractions method,physicochemical and functional properties,applications, and future trends

Gelatin is one of the most important multifunctional biopolymers and is widely used as an essential ingredient in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics. Porcine gelatin is regarded as the leading source of gelatin globally then followed by bovine gelatin. Porcine sources are favored over other sources since they are less expensive. However, porcine gelatin is religiously prohibited to be consumed by Muslims and the Jewish community. It is predicted that the global demand for gelatin will increase significantly in the future. Therefore, a sustainable source of gelatin with efficient production and free of disease transmission must be developed. The highest quality of Bovidae-based gelatin (BG) was acquired through alkaline pretreatment, which displayed excellent physicochemical and rheological properties. The utilization of mammalian- and plant-based enzyme significantly increased the gelatin yield. The emulsifying and foaming properties of BG also showed good stability when incorporated into food and pharmaceutical products. Manipulation of extraction conditions has enabled the development of custom-made gelatin with desired properties. This review highlighted the various modifications of extraction and processing methods to improve the physicochemical and functional properties of Bovidae-based gelatin. An in-depth analysis of the crucial stage of collagen breakdown is also discussed, which involved acid, alkaline, and enzyme pretreatment, respectively. In addition, the unique characteristics and primary qualities of BG including protein content, amphoteric property, gel strength, emulsifying and viscosity properties, and foaming ability were presented. Finally, the applications and prospects of BG as the preferred gelatin source globally were outlined.     

A Quest for (sila)0-4cyclopentasilylenes and their Arduengo Analogs by DFT

Silicon - Following our interest in exotic silylenes, here we compare and contrast 20 novel five-membered cyclic silylenes, including saturated (sila)0–4 cyclopentasilylenes (1–10) and...     

Effects of Prior Annealing on the Spark Plasma Sintering of Nanostructured Y2O3 Powders

The effects produced by annealing Y₂O₃ nanopowders on their spark plasma sintering (SPS) behavior are systematically investigated in this work. It is found that the annealed powders display higher sinterability with respect to the as‐received ones. Indeed, the maximum densification level reached from pristine powders is about 97.5%, whereas density decreases when further increasing either the sintering temperature or the dwell time. In contrast, the density of SPS products obtained from pretreated powder monotonically increases with temperature and processing time, thus leading to fully dense materials in 30 min at 1050°C and 60 MPa. Correspondingly, it is found that the annealing treatment markedly inhibits grain coarsening during SPS. Thus, dense translucent samples with grain size below 100 nm can be attained from annealed powders. On the other hand, white‐opaque specimens with significantly coarser microstructures (up to 1‐μm‐sized grains) are obtained when pristine powders are directly processed under the same sintering conditions. Furthermore, it is observed that the annealing treatment of SPS samples in air allows for graphite contamination removal, whereas no improvement in term of light transmittance is produced.     

Trend Analysis and Spatial Prediction of Groundwater Levels Using Time Series Forecasting and a Novel Spatio-Temporal Method

Water Resources Management - Overexploitation of groundwater in the Malayer Plain has resulted in a continuous decline of groundwater levels over recent years with associated risks to water...     

Temperature-dependent diffusion coefficient of soluble substances during ethanol extraction of clove

The temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficient of ethanol-soluble substances from ground cloves (particle size 250 μm) during extraction was estimated by fitting batch extraction data at several temperatures (27.8, 40, 50, and 60°C) to a previously developed mass transfer model. The model was based on spherical geometry of particles. Nonlinear regression analysis was used to develop an equation that describes the diffusivity as a function of temperature. The temperature dependence ofD _A was of the Arrhenius type.     

Graft Copolymerization of Acrylamide onto Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB) Fiber

Grafting of acrylamide (AAm) onto oil palm empty fruits bunch fiber using hydrogen peroxide as initiator and methyl acrylate as comonomer was investigated. The amount of comonomer needed to make grafting of acrylamide possible was determined. The percentage of poly(acrylamide) and the comonomer in the final graft copolymer was estimated by elemental analysis. Results obtained indicated that methyl acrylate facilitated the incorporation of acrylamide monomer onto OPEFB. The reactivity ratios for both monomers were determined by using Fineman–Ross plot. The effects of reaction temperature and period as well as amount of the initiator, solvent, monomer and comonomer on the percentage of grafting at fixed amount of comonomer (11 mmol) were studied. Maximum percentage of grafting was achieved when the amount of initiator and solvent 3.98×10⁻³ mol and 50 mL respectively. The optimum reaction temperature was 50 ^○C and the reaction period was 90 min. Highest percentage of grafting was 232% when 25.6 mmol of acrylamide was used under these optimum conditions. The presence of functional group in the grafted polymer is characterized by infrared spectroscopy and the surface morphology is observed by scanning electron microscopy. Thermoanalytic investigation on OPEFB and OPEFB-g-PAAM were carried out to evaluate the thermal stability and respective activation energy of the materials.     

The effect of the N-linked glycans on structural features and physicochemical functions of soybean β-conglycinin homotrimers

β-Conglycinin is a trimeric protein consisting of three subunits, α,α′,and β, which are N-glycosylated. The α and α′ subunits contain extension regions in addition to core regions common to all subunits. We purified homogeneous trimers consisting of only α, α′, or β from mutant soybean cultivars containing β-conglycinin lacking one or two subunits: α homotrimers from an α′-lacking mutant, α′ homotrimers from an α-lacking mutant, and β homotrimers from an α-and α′-lacking mutant. Structural features and physicochemical functions of the three homotrimers were examined and compared with those of recombinant homotrimers having no N-linked glycans. The native homotrimers have secondary structures very similar to those of the recombinant ones. In analogy with the recombinant homotrimers, the native ones exhibit different thermal stabilities from one another (β>α′>α), and the native α and α′ homotrimers exhibit better solubility, emulsifying ability, and heat-induced association than the native β homotrimer. Further, the N-linked glycans contribute to solubilities of the three subunits at low ionic strength (μ=0.08) and to the emulsifying ability of the native β homotrimer. N-Linked glycans also prevent heat-induced associations of the native α and α′ homotrimers but do not contribute to the secondary structure and the thermal stability of β-conglycinin.     

Thermal antioxidative kinetics of sesamol in triacylglycerols and fatty acid methyl esters of sesame,olive, and canola oils

Oxidation kinetics of the triacylglycerols (TAGs) and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) of sesame, olive, and canola oils were studied in the presence of the different concentrations of sesamol (0.1%–0.16%) at 60, 80, and 100°C. Sesamol increased the temperature coefficient, T_C, and Q₁₀ number of the TAGs more significantly compared to the FAMEs. All the sesamol-added TAG and FAME systems, respectively, of the olive, canola, and sesame oils, respectively, exerted increased values of the Arrhenius (activation energy, E_a, and frequency factor, A) and Eyring (enthalpy, ΔH⁺⁺, and entropy, ΔS⁺⁺) equation parameters. Sesamol improved the Gibbs free energy (ΔG⁺⁺) of the activated complex formation in the canola, sesame, and olive systems, respectively, and the effect was greater in the FAMEs.     

Characterization of minocycline loaded chitosan/polyethylene glycol/glycerol blend films as antibacterial wound dressings

Wound care has been a challenging subject for medical teams and researchers. Bacterial infections are one of the most serious complications in injured skins that often affect healing process. Antibacterial wound dressings can be used to facilitate wound healing process. The purpose of this study is to fabricate chitosan (Chito)/polyethylene glycol (PEG) antibacterial wound dressing doped with minocycline, and to evaluate the influence of composition ratio on the blending properties of the films. To improve the mechanical properties of these films, we examined various amounts of glycerol as a plasticizer. Moreover, we investigated morphological and mechanical aspects, water uptake, degradation, water vapor transmission and wettability properties of the films prepared with various ratios of Chito/PEG/Gly. Assessment of mechanical properties revealed that film containing 80:20 ratio Chito/PEG with 40 PHR Gly content exhibits the highest ultimate tensile strength and elongation at break (9.74 MPa and 45.73% respectively). Furthermore, results demonstrated that upon increasing PEG and Gly contents, degradability and hydrophilicity of the films increased whereas water uptake decreased. Water vapor transmission rate of the films was close to the range of 530–1200 g/m²d, indicating that the as formed films are possible candidates for dressing low exudate wounds or burns. Minocycline loaded films exhibited a biphasic drug release profile and it was more effective on gram-positive bacteria than on gram-negative bacteria. The polymeric film with the highest amount of loaded drug (2%) exhibited insignificant cytotoxicity (88%) against normal fibroblast cell line.