Antidiarrhoeic effect of Eugenia dysenterica DC (Myrtaceae) leaf essential oil

Essential oil from Eugenia dysenterica leaves was able to inhibit both the diarrhoea and enteropooling induced by castor oil; however, the distance travelled by charcoal meal in the intestine was not change. These data suggest that the antidiarrhoeic effect of the essential oil from E. dysenterica leaves is related to its ability to inhibit intestinal secretion and/or to increase intestinal absorption.     

Characterisation of an extract and fractions of Azadirachta indica flower on cholesterol lowering property and intestinal motility

Azadirachta indica has long been used in traditional medicine. This study focused on isolation and characterisation of active ingredients in the extract, its fractions (NF-EA, NF-AQ, NF-G) and its effect on the cholesterol absorption activity. The NF-EA fraction was identified by marker compounds by LC-ESI-QTOF/MS. Cholesterol absorption activity was performed by measuring the solubility and size of cholesterol micelles. The intestinal motility was also examined by isolated rat’s ileum to test the contraction. The extract and its fractions consist of flavonoids and phenolic compounds, like quercetin, kaempferol and myricetin. We found that A. indica extract and NF-EA increase cholesterol micelles size, while the extract, NF-AQ, myricetin and quercetin, reduced the solubility of cholesterol in micelles. The extract and quercetin inhibited the contraction induced by KCl up to 29 and 18%, respectively, and also decreased CaCl₂-induced contraction. This finding is in support to traditional uses of A. indica as cholesterol-lowering agents and regulator of gastrointestinal motility.     

Optimization of Biodiesel Production from Castor Oil Using Response Surface Methodology

The short supply of edible vegetable oils is the limiting factor in the progression of biodiesel technology; thus, in this study, we applied response surface methodology in order to optimize the reaction factors for biodiesel synthesis from inedible castor oil. Specifically, we evaluated the effects of multiple parameters and their reciprocal interactions using a five-level three-factor design. In a total of 20 individual experiments, we optimized the reaction temperature, oil-to-methanol molar ratio, and quantity of catalyst. Our model equation predicted that the following conditions would generate the maximum quantity of castor biodiesel (92 wt.%): a 40-min reaction at 35.5 °C, with an oil-to-methanol molar ratio of 1:8.24, and a catalyst concentration of 1.45% of KOH by weight of castor oil. Subsequent empirical analyses of the biodiesel generated under the predicted conditions showed that the model equation accurately predicted castor biodiesel yields within the tested ranges. The biodiesel produced from castor oil satisfied the relevant quality standards without regard to viscosity and cold filter plugging point.     

Phenolic compounds in field horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) as natural antioxidants

In this paper, the study of antioxidant activity and phenolic composition of three different extracts (EtOAc, n-BuOH and H(2)O) of field horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) is presented. The antioxidant activity has been evaluated measuring the total reducing power (expressed by Ascorbate Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity - AEAC), inhibition of lipid peroxidation, and free radical scavenging capacity (RSC) towards 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH radical) and nitric oxide (NO), respectively. In addition, the total flavonoid content (TFC) and phenolic constituents of each extract have been determined. The results obtained show that the highest RSC regarding both DPPH and NO radicals is expressed by EtOAc extract (EC(50)=2.37 microg/mL and EC(50)=90.07 microg/mL, respectively), and the lowest by H(2)O extract (EC(50)=37.2 microg/mL and EC(50)>333.33 microg/mL, respectively). n-BuOH extract showed the highest total reducing power (AEAC=13.40 microg/mL). Differences in the phenolic composition of examined extracts are found comparing the HPLC chemical profiles. Although, isoquercitrin is the main flavonoid in both EtOAc and n-BuOH extracts, a considerable amount of di-E-caffeoyl-meso-tartaric acid was presented in the n-BuOH extract. In H(2)O extract high content of phenolic acids and low percentage of flavonoids were detected.     

Castor oil modified by epoxidation,transesterification, and acrylation processes: Spectroscopic characteristics

In the present study, castor oil (CO) was modified by epoxidation, transesterification, and acrylation processes. In situ epoxidation method was used to prepare epoxidized castor oil (ECO) in acetic acid with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of Seralite SRC-120 catalyst. Transesterified epoxidized castor oil was synthesized from the reaction of methanol in the presence of sodium methoxide catalyst. The acrylated epoxidized castor oil was synthesized from the reaction of ECO with acrylic acid containing hydroquinone. Chemical structures of modified CO were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra analysis.     

The study of mechanical behavior and flame retardancy of castor oil phosphate-based rigid polyurethane foam composites containing expanded graphite and triethyl phosphate

The goal of this work was the synthesis of novel flame-retarded polyurethane rigid foam with a high percentage of castor oil phosphate flame-retarded polyol (COFPL) derived from renewable castor oil. Rigid flame-retarded polyurethane foams (PUFs) filled with expandable graphite (EG) and diethyl phosphate (TEP) were fabricated by cast molding. Castor oil phosphate flame-retarded polyol was derived by glycerolysis castor oil (GCO), H₂O₂, diethyl phosphate and catalyst via a three-step synthesis. Mechanical property, morphological characterization, limiting oxygen index (LOI) and thermostability analysis of PUFs were assessed by universal tester, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), oxygen index testing apparatus, cone calorimeter and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). It has been shown that although the content of P element is only about 3%, the fire retardant incorporated in the castor oil molecule chain increased thermal stability and LOI value of polyurethane foam can reach to 24.3% without any other flame retardant. An increase in flame retardant was accompanied by an increase in EG, TEP and the cooperation of the two. Polyurethane foams synthesized from castor oil phosphate flame-retarded polyol showed higher flame retardancy than that synthesized from GCO. The EG, in addition to the castor oil phosphate, provided excellent flame retardancy. This castor oil phosphate flame-retarded polyol with diethyl phosphate as plasticizer avoided foam destroy by EG, thus improving the mechanical properties. The flame retardancy determined with two different flame-retarded systems COFPL/EG and EG/COFPL/TEP flame-retarded systems revealed increased flame retardancy in polyurethane foams, indicating EG/COFPL or EG/COFPL/TEP systems have a synergistic effect as a common flame retardant in castor oil-based PUFs. This EG/COFPL PUF exhibited a large reduction of peak of heat release rate (PHRR) compared to EG/GCO PUF. The SEM results showed that the incorporation of COFPL and EG allowed the formation of a cohesive and dense char layer, which inhibited the transfer of heat and combustible gas and thus increased the thermal stability of PUF. The enhancement in flame retardancy will expand the application range of COFPL-based polyurethane foam materials.     

Hydrophobic modification of cellulose nanocrystal via covalently grafting of castor oil

Hydrophobic cellulose nanocrystals (CNs) have been prepared by grafting isocyanate-terminated castor oil, a kind of natural vegetable oil, onto their surface. The existence of castor oil component in the modified cellulose nanocrystals was verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, solid-state ¹³C NMR spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. At the same time, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron micrographs further proved that the crystalline structure and large aspect ratio of cellulose nanocrystals were essentially preserved after chemical grafting. Furthermore, the surface of modified cellulose nanocrystals appeared to be hydrophobic as indicated by contact angle measurements. The value of the polar component of surface energy decreased from 21.5 mJ/m² to almost zero via grafting castor oil. These novel hydrophobic castor oil-grafted cellulose nanocrystals appear as valuable alternatives to formulate bionanocomposites with non-polar polymers for optimized performances.     

Investigation of the interactions between Chrysanthemum morifolium flowers extract and intestinal bacteria from human and rat

Flos Chrysanthemi, dried flower of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat, has drawn much attention recently owing to its potential beneficial health effects for human. Flos Chrysanthemi products are usually taken orally and metabolized by intestinal microflora. However, there has been no investigation of the comprehensive metabolic profile of the Flos Chrysanthemi extract by intestinal flora owing to its chemical complexity and the limitations of analytical methods. In this paper, a rapid, sensitive and automated analysis method, ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry including MS^E technology and automated data processing Metabolynx? software, was developed and successfully applied for the biotransformation and metabolic profile of flavonoids in the Flos Chrysanthemi extract by intestinal flora from human and rat. A total of 32 metabolites were detected and tentatively identified in human and rat intestinal bacterial samples. These metabolites indicated that hydrolysis, hydroxylation, acetylation, methylation, hydrogenation and deoxygenation were the major conversion pathways of flavonoids in the Flos Chrysanthemi extract in vitro. Furthermore, the effects of the Flos Chrysanthemi extract on the growth of different intestinal bacteria were detected using an Emax precision microplate reader. Certain pathogenic bacteria such as Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Clostridium and Bacteroides were significantly inhibited by Flos Chrysanthemi, while commensal probiotics such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were moderately promoted. Our observation provided further evidence for the importance of intestinal bacteria in the metabolism and potential activity of the Flos Chrysanthemi extract. The results will also be helpful for the further pharmacokinetic study of Flos Chrysanthemi and to unravel how it works in vivo.     

Thermal degradation of flame-retardant compounds derived from castor oil

Castor oil is a non-edible plant oil produced in a large quantity annually. It is a triglyceride of primarily (approximately 90%) ricinoleic acid. The acid residues contain both a hydroxyl group and a double bond which permit ready functionalization. The hydroxyl group may be converted to phosphorus esters of varied structure while the unsaturation readily undergoes addition of bromine. Derivatives of castor oil containing phosphorus, bromine, or phosphorus and bromine have been prepared and fully characterized using spectroscopic and thermal methods. The thermal stability and mode of degradation for these compounds have been assessed using thermogravimetry and infrared spectroscopy. The primary mode of degradation for the phosphorus esters is elimination of the corresponding phosphorus acid (phosphates more readily than phosphonates). Brominated castor oil undergoes thermally induced dehydrobromination at relatively modest temperatures and this promotes dehydration (at temperatures well below that required for dehydration of unmodified castor oil). Brominated phosphorus esters of castor oil undergo degradation initiated by dehydrobromination.

     

Toughening polylactide by dynamic vulcanization with castor oil and different types of diisocyanates

Dynamic vulcanization of polylactide (PLA) with castor oil (CO) and three different diisocyanates, namely 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), was performed to study the effect of diisocyanate type on the vulcanization process and on the morphology as well as mechanical properties of the PLA/CO-based polyurethane blends. The reactivity of the three diisocyanate followed the order of MDI > HDI > IPDI when reacting with castor oil. Interfacial compatibilization between PLA and the CO-based polyurethane occurred when the less reactive HDI and IPDI was used. Among all the blends, PLA/CO-IPDI showed the finest morphology and the best toughening efficiency. Incorporation of 20 wt% CO-IPDI increased the elongation at break and notched impact strength of PLA by 47.3 and 6.6 times, respectively. Cavitation induced matrix plastic deformation was observed as the toughening mechanism for the PLA blends with CO-based polyurethane. The effect of CO-IPDI content on the morphology and mechanical properties of PLA was studied in detail. The particle size of dispersed CO-IPDI and the elongation at break increased gradually, the tensile strength and Young's modulus decreased gradually, while the impact strength first increased and then decreased with increasing CO-IPDI content from 5 to 30 wt%. The maximum impact strength appeared for the blends with 20 wt% CO-IPDI.     

Labelling of castor oil for myocardial study

The labelling of castor oil, hydrolyzed castor oil and oleic acid by iodine monochloride and chloramine-T has been investigated. The effect of iodinating agent and concentration of castor oil on labelling yield has been studied. A comparative pharmacological study with analogous aliphatic fatty acids was caried out. Castor oil labelled with iodine monochloride concentrates in heart and liver in good proportion, better than other natural fatty acids and nearly equal to analogous fatty acids. Infrared study revealed that the OH group in ricinoleic acid may protect the¹²⁵I added across the double bond with minor changes in biochemical properties and better extraction by the muscle of the heart.     

Lipase from a Brazilian StrainPenicillium citrinum Cultured in a Simple and Inexpensive Medium st]Heat-Denaturation, Kinetics, and pH Stability

This work is a study of lipase production by a Brazilian strain ofPenicillium citrinum using an inexpensive and simple medium without organic nitrogen sources and of some important industrial properties, including thermostability in relation to ionic strength. The maximal lipase activity (1585 U/L) was obtained whenPenicillium citrinum was cultured on 0.75% ammonium sulfate complemented with minerals salts instead of yeast extract. Although this activity was about 55% lower than that produced in medium with yeast extract (2850 U/L), the specific activity (7.8 U/mg proteins) was higher than that obtained with the yeast extract (4.9 U/mg proteins). The morphology of fungus changed totally, with yeast extract there are smooth, solid, and spherical pellets whereas on ammonium sulfate there are small “hairy” pellets uniformly suspended in the medium. The effect of ferrous (Fe⁺⁺) ions was carried out using medium MA with and without Fe⁺⁺ ions. Lipase production byPenicillium citrinum in medium MA requires Fe⁺⁺ ions, the absence of which caused a decreased of about 50% in the specific activity (3.5 U/mg proteins). The utilization of commercial, locally available oils as carbon sources, such as soybean oil (236 U/L) and corn oil (74 U/L) resulted in lower activity compared to olive oil, showing that lipase production byPenicillium citrinum is specifically induced by olive oil. Potassium concentration in the medium can effects the production of lipase (1 mM (1585 U/L), 10 mM (1290 U/L), and 30 mM (1238 U/L), 50 mM (195 U/L), and 100 mM (2 U/L). The crude culture filtered was susceptable to thermal deactivation. It was stable at pH 6.0, but was not stable at the optimum pH (8.0-8.5) at 50 mM. At the low ionic concentration (1-25 mM) this lipase was stable at low pH (3.5-4.0). The activation energy was 22.4 ±2.2 Kcal. mol 1.     

Antidiabetic,cytotoxic and antioxidant activities of oil extracted from Acrocomia aculeata pulp

This study evaluated the hypoglycemic effect of the oil extracted from the Acrocomia aculeata pulp (OPAC) in normoglycemic rats and streptozotocin (STZ), fructose-induced diabetic rat models and its in vitro antioxidant and cytotoxic potential. OPAC (3, 30 or 300 mg/kg, v.o.) significantly decreased (p < 0.05) the high glucose levels induced by a high fructose-diet in rats. Persistent treatment with OPAC for 24 days also reduced the high plasmatic glucose induced by STZ. In normoglycemic animals, OPAC significantly decreased glucose levels. While A. aculeata oil exhibited good in vitro antioxidant activity, no sign of cytotoxicity was observed in LLC-PK1 cells (5–500 μg/mL). OPAC has antidiabetic and antioxidant activities without causing in vitro cytotoxicity.     

Development of biobased polyurethane‐imides from maleinized cottonseed oil and castor oil

An eco‐friendly coating system, which is largely biobased, has been developed from castor and cottonseed oil. Cottonseed oil was functionalized with maleic anhydride by “ene” reaction to give maleinized cottonseed oil (MACSO); the anhydride groups were reacted with isocyanates to yield –NCO terminated polyurethane prepolymer. The prepolymer was further chain extended with hydroxyl groups of castor oil to give polyurethane‐imides (PUIs). The cross‐linked films thus obtained had good mechanical properties, and the imide groups in the backbone improved the corrosion resistance of PUIs as revealed by potentiodynamic polarization study. With increasing content of MACSO, thermal stability, glass transition temperatures (T_g), tensile strength, and corrosion resistance of resulting PUIs significantly increased.     

蓖麻油聚氨酯／聚取代乙烯互穿网络聚合物作为带锈涂料及粘合剂的可能性

在室温用氧化还原引发剂将蓖麻油、甲苯二异氰酸酯及取代乙烯合成了蓖麻油聚氨酯／聚取代乙烯互穿网络聚合物（ＩＰＮ），研究了不同组成对带锈铁板搭接剪切强度的影响。指出搭接剪切强度随取代乙烯均聚物的玻璃化温度增加而增。ＮＣＯ／ＯＨ之比愈大，搭接剪切强度也愈大。以蓖麻油聚氨酯／（丙烯腈－苯乙烯）共聚物的反应液作为带锈铁板的涂料，其涂膜性能良好。用扫描电镜观察了此种涂料与带锈铁板的结合状态，并讨论其成因。     

Gastroprotective potentials of the ethanolic extract of Mukia maderaspatana against indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats

This study investigated the protective effects of the ethanolic extract of Mukia maderaspatana against indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Gastric ulceration was induced by single intraperitoneal injection of indomethacin (30 mg/kg b.wt.). M. maderaspatana extract produced significant reduction in gastric mucosal lesions, malondialdehyde and serum tumour necrosis factor-α associated with a significant increase in gastric juice mucin content and gastric mucosal catalase, nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 levels. The volume and acidity of the gastric juice decreased in pretreated rats. The plant extract was evaluated in the gastric juice of rats, untreated has showed near normal levels in pretreated rats. The M. maderaspatana was able to decrease acidity and increase the mucosal defence in the gastric area, therefore justifying its use as an antiulcerogenic agent. Ranitidine significantly increased pH value and decreased pepsin activity and gastric juice free and total acidity. The anti-ulcer effect was further confirmed histologically.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel environmentally friendly shape memory polyurethanes based on poly(epsilon-caprolactone) diol/castor oil mixtures

A new category of polyurethane plastics (PUs) was obtained from poly (ε-caprolactone) diol/castor oil mixture as a dual-component of their soft segment and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) as the hard segment. The main aim of this study was to explore the effect of castor oil on content chemical structure, dynamic and mechanical properties and low temperature heat induced shape memory of the obtained polyurethane system. The chemical structure of samples was confirmed by Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was carried out to study thermal transitions of synthesized polyurethanes. At 50 mol % of oil, the polyurethane showed the highest enhancement in tensile strength (54%) and Young’s modulus (23%) compared to PU-0. The PU containing 50 mol % of oil was nearly recovered by 99%.     

Lipase Production in Solid-State Fermentation Monitoring Biomass Growth of Aspergillus niger Using Digital Image Processing

The aim of this study was to monitor the biomass growth of Aspergillus niger in solid-state fermentation (SSF) for lipase production using digital image processing technique. The strain A. niger 11T53A14 was cultivated in SSF using wheat bran as support, which was enriched with 0.91% (m/v) of ammonium sulfate. The addition of several vegetable oils (castor, soybean, olive, corn, and palm oils) was investigated to enhance lipase production. The maximum lipase activity was obtained using 2% (m/m) castor oil. In these conditions, the growth was evaluated each 24 h for 5 days by the glycosamine content analysis and digital image processing. Lipase activity was also determined. The results indicated that the digital image process technique can be used to monitor biomass growth in a SSF process and to correlate biomass growth and enzyme activity. In addition, the immobilized esterification lipase activity was determined for the butyl oleate synthesis, with and without 50% v/v hexane, resulting in 650 and 120 U/g, respectively. The enzyme was also used for transesterification of soybean oil and ethanol with maximum yield of 2.4%, after 30 min of reaction.     

Biodiesel from soybean oil,castor oil and their blends

Even not being described in the EN 14112 standard, PDSC has been used for the determination of the biodiesel oxidative stability, by OIT and OT measurements. In this study, biodiesel blends were obtained by mixing soybean (BES) and castor (BEM) ethyl esters and its induction periods were measured by Rancimat and PDSC. The blends (BSM _X ) showed intermediate values of OSI, OT, and OIT, compared with BES and BEM. Although, the molar fraction of the components varied linearly in BSM _X , OSI, OT, and OIT values increased exponentially in relation to the castor biodiesel amount in the blends. Introduction of castor oil biodiesel increased the blend stability, so the BSM₃₀ blend reached the OSI limit of 6 h. OSI, OIT, and OT showed a high-linear correlation, pointing out that PDSC can be used in the analysis of this kind of biodiesel, with a smaller sample and analysis time, as compared to Rancimat. The use of biodiesel blends was a good alternative in the correction of the oxidative stability of the final product without the need of antioxidant addition.     

AOT/Triton X-100混合反胶束体系中假丝酵母脂肪酶催化蓖麻油水解的活性

研究了二(2-乙基己基)琥珀酸磺酸钠(AOT)/Triton X-100混合反胶束体系中假丝酵母脂肪酶(candida rugosa lipase)催化蓖麻油水解的反应. 考察了Triton X-100占总表面活性剂的摩尔分数(x(Triton X-100))、水与总体表面活性剂的摩尔比(ω0)、pH值、反应温度以及底物蓖麻油的浓度等因素对酶活性的影响. 研究结果表明, 加入非离子表面活性剂Triton X-100可以使假丝酵母脂肪酶的活性得到显著提高, 但是当底物蓖麻油的浓度大于0.24 mol·L-1时, 会对假丝酵母脂肪酶产生抑制作用.