Ultrasonic treatment maintains the flavor of the melon juice

Thermal treatment usually leads to the flavor deterioration of melon juice. This study was initiated to evaluate the retention effect of ultrasonic (US) and ultra-high pressure (UHP) on volatile components of melon juice by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC–MS) and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). The electronic nose, electronic tongue, and GC-IMS analysis showed that US was much better way to contain the flavor of melon juice than UHP was does. The correlation coefficient between the US and the control was as high as 0.99. The concentration of characteristic aroma components in melon juice after ultrasonic treatment was 2.77 times and 3.02 times higher than that in the control and UHP, respectively. Moreover, the US treatment gave no significant difference in the total soluble solids, pH, and color of the juice. And it dramatically enhanced the flavor profile of melon juice.     

Foodomics revealed the effects of ultrasonic extraction on the composition and nutrition of cactus fruit (Opuntia ficus-indica) seed oil

Cactus is a tropical fruit with a high nutritional value; however, little information is available regarding the comprehensive utilization of its byproducts. This study aimed to explore the composition and nutritional value of cactus fruit seed oil (CFO) and reveal the effects of ultrasound-assisted extraction and traditional solvent extraction on oil quality. Foodomics analysis showed that CFO extracted using a traditional solvent is rich in linolenic acid (9c12cC18:2, 57.46 ± 0.84 %), α-tocopherol (20.01 ± 1.86 mg/100 g oil), and canolol (200.10 ± 1.21 μg/g). Compared to traditional solvent extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction can significantly increase the content of lipid concomitants in CFO, whereas excessive ultrasound intensity may lead to the oxidation of oils and the formation of free radicals. Analysis of the thermal properties showed that ultrasound had no effect on the crystallization or melting behavior of CFO. To further demonstrate the nutritional value of CFO, a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lipid metabolism imbalance model was used. Lipidomics analysis showed that CFO significantly reduced the content of oxidized phospholipids stimulated by LPS and increased the content of highly bioactive metabolites such as ceramides, thus alleviating LPS-induced damage in C. elegans. Hence, CFO is a functional oil with high value, and ultrasound-assisted extraction is advocated. These findings provide new insights into the comprehensive utilization of cactus fruits.     

Enhanced skin anti-inflammatory and moisturizing action of gold nanoparticles produced utilizing Diospyros kaki fruit extracts

Inflammatory skin diseases (ISD) cause very severe itchy skin and dryness which is now a days an important issue which has to be taken care. Nanotechnology plays a main role in manufacturing cosmetic ingredients at a nanoscale size. Among different nanoparticles, gold (Au) is one of the non-toxic materials synthesized organically or inorganically. For synthesizing nanoparticles (NPs), using inorganic methods may cause some toxicity to cells, but using organic synthesis like plant extract is less toxic and environmentally friendly. Therefore, we synthesized DK-AuNPs using Diospyros kaki fruit extract. UPLC-MS/MS was used to evaluate phytochemicals responsible for converting salt into nanoparticles. The DK-AuNPs were characterized to confirm the formation of NPs. Furthermore, we analyzed the activity of DK-AuNPs on human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells). The DK-AuNPs showed 98.2 % cell survival upto 200 µg/mL against HaCaT cells. Additionally, compared to DK treatment, DK-AuNPs therapy decreased ROS production in TNF-α/IFN-γ (T + I) stimulated HaCaT cells by 68.7 %, whereas DK treatment reduced ROS generation by 27.8 %. Moreover, the skin anti-inflammatory potential and moisturizing effect of DK-AuNPs were analyzed using HaCaT cells. Furthermore, skin inflammatory activity biomarkers were downregulated through the MAPK/NFκB signaling pathway and showed significant inhibition by DK-AuNPs. Also, the skin moisturizing biomarkers such as HAS (1–3) were upregulated and HYAL (1–2) were downregulated by PI3K/AKT/NFκB through HAS2 regulation. Therefore, skin anti-inflammatory and moisturizing activity were enhanced by treatment with DK-AuNPs. In summary, we conclude that the DK-AuNPs could be a new alternative for skin disease.     

Synthesising injectable molecular self-curing polymer from monomer derived from lignocellulosic oil palm empty fruit bunch biomass: A review on treating Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic and irreversible degenerative joint disease that most commonly affects individuals in their forties and fifties worldwide due to the continuously increasing life expectancy. Although joint replacement is an effective remedy for severe end-stage OA, the functional outcomes could be unsatisfactory, while the implants might have a limited lifespan. Due to the drawbacks and limitations of the joint replacement approach, bone Tissue Engineering (TE) is one of the promising bone tissue regeneration technologies that aid in cartilage repair and regeneration and has attracted the attention of experts. The advanced development of biopolymers, in particular biopolymer derived from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB), has been utilised in the fabrication of scaffolds that serve as a crucial component in bone TE. The abundant supply of OPEFB biomass and the increasing trend of converting waste into wealth for environmental sustainability have also provided the opportunity and interest to fully apply biopolymer-derived materials for bone scaffolding and other applications. Therefore, this paper aimed to provide a review of the biopolymers derived from OPEFB for the treatment of OA and other related applications. A brief overview of the biomass sources in Malaysia was presented, followed by a discussion on the chemical compositions and pre-treatment methods of OPEFB by using organosolv pre-treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis for maximum glucose recovery, monomer derived from cellulose OPEFB and synthesizing self-curing polymer scaffold. Additionally, a detailed review of the polymeric biomaterials in bone TE for the fabrication of scaffolds were included in this review. Most importantly, the paper described the potential use of injectable polymeric biomaterials that provide a significant benefit in orthopaedic applications. Overall, this paper provides a perspective on the potential of OPEFB-derived injectable scaffolds as an alternative OA treatment and future bone TE applications.     

One-pot fabrication of magnetic adsorbent based on polymeric ionic liquid/aminated carbon nanotubes composite for efficient capture of synthetic auxins in complex samples prior to chromatographic analysis

Efficient enrichment is a challenging and indispensable step in the quantification of polar synthetic auxins in complex samples. In the current study, a new magnetic adsorbent based on polymeric ionic liquid/aminated carbon nanotube composite was fabricated with a one-pot precipitation copolymerization strategy and employed as the extraction phase of magnetic solid phase extraction of synthetic auxins. Various characterization techniques were utilized to inspect the morphology, structure, magnetic property, and functional groups of the prepared adsorbent. Under the optimal conditions, the obtained adsorbent displayed satisfactory capture performance towards studied auxins through multiple interactions. Adsorption studies evidenced that the adsorption procedure of the developed method towards analytes was fit for the Freundlich adsorption model and pseudo-second-order kinetics. Combining with high-performance liquid chromatography, sensitive and reliable method for the identification and quantification of trace synthetic auxins in environmental water and fruit juice samples was developed. The obtained limits of detection for water and fruit juice samples located in the ranges of 0.0059–0.013 and 0.018–0.031 μg/L, respectively. Recoveries in actual samples with different fortified contents varied from 82.2% to 117%, with satisfactory reproducibility. The results will evidence that the introduced extraction technique is a useful alternative for the entrapment of trace synthetic auxins from complex samples.     

Development of a polyurethane-coated thin film solid phase microextraction device for multi-residue monitoring of pesticides in fruit and tea beverages

A novel solid-phase microextraction device coated with an efficient and cheap thin film of polyurethane was developed for trace determination of 13 widely used pesticides in fruit and tea beverages. A round-shaped polyurethane film covering the bottom of a glass vial was fabricated as the sorbent to exhibit a superior capacity for preconcentrating target compounds and reducing matrix interferences. After optimization of the key parameters including the film type, extraction time, solution pH, ionic strength, desorption solvent, and conditions, this device allowed an efficient adsorption-desorption cycle for the pesticides accomplished in one vial. Coupled with gas chromatography-electron capture detection, the polyurethane-coated thin film microextraction method was successfully established and applied for the analysis of real fruit and tea drinks, showing low limits of detection (0.001–0.015 μg/L), wide linear ranges (1.0–500.0 μg/L, r² > 0.9931), good relative recoveries (77.2%–106.3%) and negligible matrix effects (86.1%–107.5%) for the target pesticides. The proposed approach revealed strong potential of extending its application by flexibly modifying the type or size of the coating film. This study provides insights into the enrichment of contaminants from complex samples using inexpensive and reusable microextraction devices that can limit the environmental and health impact of the sample preparation protocol.