Pomegranate oil as a valuable pharmaceutical and nutraceutical

Pomegranate oil is the unique edible oil produced from the seed of the pomegranate fruit (Punica granatum L.), which can be extracted by various methods including supercritical CO₂, superheated hexane, cold pressing, microwaves and ultrasound. The oil composition of pomegranate seed has received particular attention recently due to its content of antioxidant and anticancer agents, which may be important components for the production of new medicines and cosmetics.     

Physicochemical Characteristics of Nigella Seed (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Nigella sativa</Emphasis> L<Emphasis Type="Italic">.</Emphasis>) Oil as Affected by Different Extraction Methods

The physicochemical properties of crude Nigella seed (Nigella sativa L.) oil which was extracted using Soxhlet, Modified Bligh–Dyer and Hexane extraction methods were determined. The effect of different extraction methods which includes different parameters, such as temperature, time and solvent on the extraction yield and the physicochemical properties were investigated. The experimental results showed that temperature, different solvents and extraction time had the most significant effect on the yield of the Nigella oil extracts. The fatty acid (FA) compositions of Nigella seed oil were further analyzed by gas chromatography to compare the extraction methods. The C16:0, C18:1 and C18:2 have been identified to be the dominant fatty acids in the Nigella seed oils. However, the main triacylglycerol (TAG) was LLL followed by OLL and PLL. The FA and TAG content showed that the composition of the Nigella seed oil extracted by different methods was mostly similar, whereas relative concentration of the identified compounds were apparently different according to the extraction methods. The melting and crystallization temperatures of the oil extracted by Soxhlet were −2.54 and −55.76 °C, respectively. The general characteristics of the Nigella seed oil obtained by different extraction methods were further compared. Where the Soxhlet extraction method was considered to be the optimum process for extracting Nigella seed oil with a higher quality with respect to the other two processes.     

Application of Organic Acid Based Artificial Neural Network Modeling for Assessment of Commercial Vinegar Authenticity

Food Analytical Methods - Vinegar as a nutraceutical substance is classified to various types related to the different substances applied in production process. Therefore, identity of the source...     

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic monitoring of sol-gel process in synthesis of PbS-TiO2 hybrid nanostructures

A typical hybrid nanostructure was prepared consisting of lead sulfide (PbS) nano-crystals, embedded in titanium oxide (TiO₂) using sol-gel method. The synthesis procedure was monitored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Spectroscopic investigations indicated that PbS nano-crystals are embedded in the TiO₂ matrix with no strong Ti-O-Pb-S bonding. The size of PbS hybrid nanostructures decreased with diminishing lead and sulfur mole concentrations. The smallest size of NCs has been obtained in 10% of mole concentration (30-45 nm particle size for the hybrid nanostructure). The morphology and microstructure of the nano hybrid was investigated by scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction.     

Influence of the Thermal Barrier Coatings Design on the Oxidation Behavior

The properties of two different types of thermal barrier coatings(TBCs) were compared to improve the surface characteristics on high temperature components.These TBCs consisted of a duplex TBC and a five-layered functionally graded TBC.NiCrAlY bond coats were deposited on a number of Inconel-738LC specimens using high velocity oxy-fuel spraying(HVOF) technique.For duplex coating,a group of these specimens were coated with yttria stabilized zirconia(YSZ) using plasma spray technique.Functionally graded NiCrA...     

Hydrophobicity of fluorocarbon-finished electrospun poly (acrylonitrile) nanofibrous webs

This article reports the hydrophobicity of fluorocarbon-finished nanofibrous webs composed of electrospun poly (acrylonitrile) nanofibers with fiber diameter in the range of about 100–3000 nm. The results obtained from sliding angle and contact angle measurements tests are reported. It was found that the contact angle of unfinished samples with average fiber diameters of about 700, 980 , and 3050 nm lies between 132° and 134°, indicating a rather high and at the same time not much different hydrophobicity for the webs. However, after finishing the electrospun nano- and microfibrous webs, the contact angle increased by a considerable amount to 138°–157° for the webs with average fiber diameter in the range of about 100–3050 nm, respectively. Sliding angle test of the finished nanofibrous webs showed a minimum angle of about 3° for the web with average fiber diameter of 3055 nm. To the best of authors’ knowledge, the rolling angle of 3° is the smallest rolling angle ever reported in the literature. The result of this work showed also that sliding angle test may be more sensitive than contact angle test. It was also ascertained that none of the Wenzel model and Cassie–Baxter model can represent the superhydrophobicity of the fluorocarbon-finished nano- and microfibrous webs.     

Nonlinear vibration and instability of fluid-conveying DWBNNT embedded in a visco-Pasternak medium using modified couple stress theory

Nonlinear free vibration and instability of fluid-conveying double-walled boron nitride nanotubes (DWBNNTs) embedded in viscoelastic medium are studied in this paper. The effects of the transverse shear deformation and rotary inertia are considered by utilizing the Timoshenko beam theory. The size effect is applied by the modified couple stress theory and considering a material length scale parameter for beam model. The nonlinear effect is considered by the Von Kármán type geometric nonlinearity. The electromechanical coupling and charge equation are employed to consider the piezoelectric effect. The surrounding viscoelastic medium is described as the linear visco-Pasternak foundation model characterized by the spring and damper. Hamilton’s principle is used to derive the governing equations and boundary conditions. The differential quadrature method (DQM) is employed to discretize the nonlinear higher-order governing equations, which are then solved by a direct iterative method to obtain the nonlinear vibration frequency and critical fluid velocity of fluid-conveying DWBNNTs with clamped-clamped (C-C) boundary conditions. A detailed parametric study is conducted to elucidate the influences of the small scale coefficient, spring and damping constants of surrounding viscoelastic medium and fluid velocity on the nonlinear free vibration, instability and electric potential distribution of DWBNNTs. This study might be useful for the design and smart control of nano devices.     

Thermo-piezo-magneto-mechanical stresses analysis of FGPM hollow rotating thin disk

Thermo-piezo-magnetic behavior of a functionally graded piezo-magnetic (FGPM) rotating disk, under mechanical and thermal loads is investigated. The mechanical, thermal and magnetic properties, except Poisson’s ratio, are assumed to depend on variable r and they are expressed as power functions in radial direction of the disk using mathematical modeling. Temperature distribution is obtained using a steady-state one dimensional heat transfer equation considering the boundary conditions of the symmetrical disk. Stress and displacement correlations, including mechanical, magnetic and thermal terms are defined using elasticity theory. Substituting these relations in the mechanical and magnetic equilibrium equations, lead ultimately to provision of a system of coupled second-order ordinary differential equations in terms of displacement and magnetic potential. Using these differential equations, physical characteristics including displacement, temperature, magnetic potential and distributions of radial and circumferential stresses are investigated graphically for a range of non-homogeneous parameters i.e., elastic stiffness, thermal expansion and thermal conductivity. Hence, the effect of non-homogeneity on the stresses, displacement, temperature and magnetic potential are demonstrated. Results of this investigation could be applied for optimum design of FGPM hollow rotating thin disks.     

Improvement in poly(lactic acid) fabric performance via hydrophilic coating

The effects of a hydrophilic coating on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) fabric using polyethylene glycol-dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea (PEG-DMDHEU) were studied to obtain highly cross-linked polyethylene glycol (PEG) with acceptable fastness properties owing to the possibility of fixation PEG on the fibres surface at lower temperature than melting point of PLA fibres. PEG as a Phase Change Materials (PCMs) imparts thermal adaptability, which is so important for the comfort of textiles, to the substrate. While there is a good adhesion between the fibre and the PEG polymer for cotton and polyester fibres, polymer adhesion to PLA fibres and its effects on PLA fabrics have never been studied. The effect of hydrophilic coating on the PLA fabric was studied in comparison to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabric by measuring the thermal regulating effect, antistatic, air permeability, and mechanical properties. The results exhibit the possibility of multipurpose finishing on both fabrics samples leading to permanent thermal regulating effect and durable antistatic finish.