Ultrafiltration of soybean oil/hexane extract by porous ceramic membranes

This study investigated the ultrafiltration of soybean oil/hexane extract (miscella) using porous ceramic membrane. The evaporation energy can be saved in the soybean oil production by pre-separating a portion of hexane through the ceramic membrane. Raw soybean oil/hexane extract with 33 wt% of oil was used without pretreatment. A cross-flow ultrafiltration was performed using an anodisc membrane with a pore diameter of 0.02 μm and thickness of ∼1 μm. The concentrations of oil/hexane mixture were measured by UV adsorption at a wavelength of 458 nm. The separation mechanism was suggested to be the hindrance diffusion of soybean oil. Agitation in the feed side significantly increased the rejection of soybean oil. A small stage cut could also yield a higher rejection. Above observations were attributed to the reduction of concentration polarization by increasing the shear rate and small permeate flux, respectively. The optimum separation was achieved under the conditions of 4 kg/cm² transmembrane pressure, 0.04 stage cut and 120 rpm agitation speed. The concentration of soybean oil decreased from 33 wt% of feed to 27 wt% in permeate, that is, near 20% rejection. A gel-layer polarization model was proposed to estimate the gel concentration and thickness. The gel concentration was found 43–53 wt%. Agitating feed side reduced gel thickness, thus enhanced the rejection and permeate flux.     

A novel method for the synthesis of biodiesel from soybean oil and urea

The increasing demand for energy has encouraged the development of renewable resources and environmentally benign fuel such as biodiesel. In this study, ethyl fatty esters (EFEs), a major component of biodiesel fuel, were synthesized from soybean oil using sodium ethoxide as a catalyst. By-products were glycerol and difatty acyl urea (DFAU), which has biological characteristics, as antibiotics and antifungal medications. Both EFEs and DFAU have been characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique. The optimum conditions were studied as a function of reaction time, reactant molar ratios, catalyst percentage and the effect of organic solvents. The conversion ratio of soybean oil into pure EFEs was 76% after 10 h of reaction. The highest conversion yield of EFEs is obtained when the urea/soybean oil ratio was from 6.2 mmol to 1 mmol, while the highest production of DFAU is obtained when the ethoxide (as a catalyst)/soybean oil ratio is from 6.4 mmol to 1 mmol in hexane as the reaction medium.     

Preparation and characteristics of nanostructured lipid carriers for control-releasing progesterone by melt-emulsification

Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) made from mixtures of solid and spatially incompatible liquid lipids were prepared by melt-emulsification. Their drug loading capacity and releasing properties of progesterone were compared with those of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), and the NLC prepared by solvent diffusion method. Monostearin (MS) and stearic acid (SA) were used as solid lipid, whilst the oleic acid (OA) was used as liquid lipid. Properties of carriers such as the particle size and its distribution, drug loading, drug encapsulation efficiency and drug release behavior were investigated. As a result, the drug encapsulation efficiencies were improved by adding the liquid lipid into the solid lipid of nanoparticles. The drug release behavior could be adjusted by the addition of liquid lipid, and the NLC with higher OA content showed the faster rate of drug releasing. NLC had higher efficiency of encapsulation and slower rate of drug release than those of NLC prepared by solvent diffusion method. On the other hand, the NLC with higher drug loading was obtained, though the drug encapsulation efficiency was decreased slightly due to the increase of the amount of drug. The NLC modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG) was also prepared by using polyethylene glycol monostearate (PEG-SA). It was observed that the incorporation of PEG-SA reduced the drug encapsulation efficiency, but increased the rate of drug release. A sample with almost complete drug release in 24 h was obtained by modifying with 1.30 mol% PEG-SA. It indicated that the modified NLC was a potential drug delivery system for oral administration.     

Nanoencapsulation and characterization of Albizia chinensis isolated antioxidant quercitrin on PLA nanoparticles

The plant isolated antioxidant quercitrin has been encapsulated on poly-d,l-lactide (PLA) nanoparticles by solvent evaporation method to improve the solubility, permeability and stability of this molecule. The size of quercitrin-PLA nanoparticles is 250 ± 68 nm whereas that PLA nanoparticles is 195 ± 55 nm. The encapsulation efficiency of nanoencapsulated quercitrin evaluated by HPLC and antioxidant assay is 40%. The in vitro release kinetics of quercitrin under physiological condition reveals initial burst release followed by sustained release. Less fluorescence quenching is observed with equimolar concentration of PLA encapsulated quercitrin than free quercitrin. The presence of quercitrin specific peaks on FTIR of five times washed quercitrin loaded PLA nanoparticles provides an extra evidence for the encapsulation of quercitrin into PLA nanoparticles. These properties of quercitrin nanomedicine provide a new potential for the use of such less useful highly active antioxidant molecule towards the development of better therapeutic for intestinal anti-inflammatory effect and nutraceutical compounds.     

Preparation and in vitro antiproliferative effect of tocotrienol loaded lipid nanoparticles

The primary objective of this study was to prepare nanostructured lipid carriers loaded with tocotrienol-rich-fraction of palm oil (TRF-NLCs) and to evaluate their antiproliferative effects against neoplastic +SA mammary epithelial cells. This necessitated optimizing the ultrasonic homogenization process parameters and the surfactant to lipid ratio within the NLCs. Therefore, sonication time and pulsar rate were initially evaluated for their effect on the size and polydispersity of the nanoparticles using a full factorial design. Also, varying the surfactant to lipid ratio from 0.25:1 to 3:1 was evaluated for its effect on the same responses. Optimal nanoparticles were obtained when dispersions containing a surfactant to lipid ratio of 0.5:1, with a total lipid concentration of 0.25 (w/v), were sonicated at 60% pulsar rate for 10 min. These parameters were subsequently used to prepare TRF-NLCs. TRF was loaded into the nanoparticles by substituting 10% (TRF-10-NLC) or 50% (TRF-50-NLC) of the lipid phase with TRF. In an extended stability study, no significant change in particle size of the TRF-NLCs was observed over 6 months of storage. In the cell culture studies, TRF-NLCs were shown to exhibit potent antiproliferative effect against neoplastic +SA mammary epithelial cells. The IC₅₀ values of TRF-10-NLCs were 2-fold lower than the IC₅₀ value of the reference TRF/BSA solution. In contrast, TRF-50-NLCs had comparable IC₅₀ values as the TRF/BSA solution, which signified the importance of TRF encapsulation within NLCs on their activity. Furthermore, these findings suggested that TRF-NLCs may have potential value in the treatment of breast cancer.     

In vitro cytotoxicity against K562 tumor cell line,antibacterial, antioxidant,antifungal and catalytic activities of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles using Sophora pachycarpa extract

In the present study, we demonstrate the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Sophora pachycarpa extract (S. pachycarpa; SPE) as capping, reducing, and stabilizing agents. The biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (SPE-AgNPs) were tested for catalytic, antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, and anti-cancer activities. The affecting parameters (the concentration of silver nitrate, the temperature of the reaction, and time of reaction) on the synthesis process were optimized. The biosynthesized SPE-AgNPs were studied by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The FESEM and TEM results revealed spherical and oval-like morphology with sizes ranging from 30 to 40 nm. Photocatalytic performance experiments of SPE-AgNPs were determined by the rapid degradation of the eriochrome black T (EBT) and methylene blue (MB) under sunlight and UV irradiations. The results showed that SPE-AgNPs degraded more than 90% and 80% of both dyes under UV and sunlight irradiations, respectively. In addition, the SPE-AgNPs exhibited good antibacterial and antifungal properties against S. aureus, S. epidermidis, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, E. faecalis, and C. albicans with MIC values of 6.25, 6.25, 0.78, 0.39, 0.78, 1.56 and 0.78 µg/ml. The green synthesized SPE-AgNPs were found to inhibit the activity of DPPH free radicals efficiently. Eventually, the SPE-AgNPs exhibited significant in vitro cytotoxicity against K562 tumor cell line (IC50 = 19.5 µg/ml). All these studies indicated that AgNPs synthesized using S. pachycarpa extract have applications in the environmental and biomedical fields.     

Synthesis and anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities of some novel 2-methylquinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives bearing urea,thiourea and sulphonamide functionalities

A variety of novel 2-methylquinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives (1–29) bearing urea, thiourea and sulphonamide functionalities at position 3 of biological interest have been synthesized and screened for their anti-inflammatory (TNF-α and IL-6) and antimicrobial activities (antibacterial and antifungal). “Biological evaluation study revealed that the compounds 3, 4, 6, 9, 16 and 18 were found to have promising anti-inflammatory activity (up to 62–84% TNF-α and 73–92% IL-6 inhibitory activity) at concentration of 10 μM with reference to standard dexamethasone (75% TNF-α and 84% IL-6 inhibitory activities at 1 μM) and 7, 10, 12, 23, 25 and 28 have antimicrobial activity at MIC of 10–30 μg/mL against selected pathogenic bacteria and fungi.”     

Chemical composition and biological potential of seed oil and leaf extracts of Henophyton deserti Coss. & Durieu

Henophyton deserti was characterized in respect to its chemical composition, antioxidant potential and antimicrobial activity. Fourteen compounds were identified by LC/MS, GC/MS, and GC in leaf and seed extracts. Total flavonoids ranged between 45.66 and 181.2 mg QE g^?1 and 2.03 and 38.95 mg QE g^?1 dry weight (dw) in leaf and seed polar extracts, respectively. Rutin, Kaempferol 3-rutinoside, Diosmetin 7-O-Glucoside, and Acacetin 7-O-Glucoside flavonoids were tentatively identified in this plant. The profile of seed fatty acids revealed oleic acid (C18:1, 27%), linoleic acid (C18:2, 12%) and linolenic acid (C18:3, 17%). The highest antioxidant activities of 85.2% and 67.5% were obtained with methanol and ethyl acetate leaf extracts. All H. deserti extracts were active against at least one of the tested bacteria, leaf ethyl acetate extract showed the lowest MIC of 0.156 mg ml^?1. Only seed ethyl acetate extract showed antifungal activity with a MIC of 2.5 mg ml^?1.     

Chemical composition and larvicidal activity of Algerian Foeniculum vulgare seed essential oil

A laboratory study was conducted to determine the effect of three extraction parameters (soaking time, extraction time and the ratio of solid to liquid) on the yield and chemical composition of Foeniculum vulgare seeds essential oils. The bioactivity of the essential oil extracted for the optimum extraction parameters was assessed against Culex pipiens mosquito. F. vulgare essential oil composition included large amounts of phenylpropanoids. Through an extraction time of 6 h and a ratio solid to liquid of 300 g/L we can get over than 72% of trans-anethol without soaking the seeds. With bioassays, essential oils showed different activities on C. pipiens larvae and pupae. Results show that a concentration at 40 mg/L was sufficient to register 50% mortality for the second instars larvae and this, after 2 h exposition time. Moreover, concentration at 60 mg/L ensured after 4 h exposition time 90% mortality for the fourth instars larvae. However, pupae needed 24 h exposition time to show promising mortalities when using concentration at 200 mg/L. Even if laboratory bioassays are only the first step towards the use of essential oils in practical applications, these substances represent a potential alternative to chemical insecticides in some markets.     

Determination of the changes of antifungal properties of Satureja hortensis,Thymus vulgaris and Thymbra spicata exposed to gamma irradiation

In this research, changes in the antifungal activity of the extract of Satureja hortensis, Thymus vulgaris and Thymbra spicata exposed to gamma irradiation against two aflatoxigenic moulds Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL 2999 and 465 were investigated. The samples of dry plant leaf powder were irradiated with doses of 1.2, 3.0, 5.1 kGy. While the antifungal activity of S. hortensis with 0 and 1.2 kGy dose irradiation against A. parasiticus NRRL 2999 was found to be similar, it decreased with 3.0 and 5.1 kGy irradiation doses (P<0.05). On the contrary, antifungal activity of T. spicata increased until 3.0 kGy and then it decreased with 5.1 kGy irradiation dose (P<0.05). For T. vulgaris, an increase of irradiation dose resulted in a decrease of antifungal activity against aflatoxigenic moulds. This research shows that antifungal properties of some spices can be changed by gamma irradiation.     

Antimicrobial and cytotoxicity properties of biosynthesized gold and silver nanoparticles using D. brittonii aqueous extract

Recently, the production of nanoparticles using biological resources has gained considerable attention due to their application for animal and human well-being. In this study, we used a green synthesis to fabricate gold and silver nanoparticles by reducing HAuCl₄ and AgNO₃ into AuNPs and AgNPs, respectively, using Dudleya brittonii (DB) extract. The physio-chemical properties of the synthesized nanoparticles were analyzed using a UV–vis spectrophotometer, FESEM, EDX, HR-TEM, AFM and FT-IR. Furthermore, the antimicrobial and cytotoxicity activities of DB-AuNPs and DB-AgNPs against livestock pathogenic bacteria and different cell lines, as well as anti-oxidant activity, were investigated. DB synthesized AuNPs and AgNPs were mostly spherical with a few triangular rods and sizes ranging of 5–25 nm and 10–40 nm, respectively. The in vitro antibacterial and antifungal studies demonstrated the DB-AuNPs and DB-AgNPs have good antibacterial activity against E. coli and other livestock pathogens, including Y. pseudotuberculosis and S. typhi. Cell studies revealed that the higher concentrations of both DB-AuNPs and DB-AgNPs (1 µg/ml to 1 mg/ml) showed potent cytotoxicity in chicken cells after 24 hrs, whereas the middle and lower concentrations of DB-AuNPs and DB-AgNPs did not show cytotoxicity in selected cell lines after 24 hrs. In addition, the DB synthesized AuNPs and AgNPs exhibited good free scavenging activity in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, the biosynthesized nanoparticles can be utilized by the livestock industry to develop an effective source against livestock microbial infections.     

Modification of egg shell and its application in biodiesel production

Egg shells were subjected to calcination–hydration–dehydration treatment to obtain CaO with high activity. The performance of CaO obtained from the calcination–hydration–dehydration treatment of egg shell and commercial CaO was tested for its catalytic activity via transesterification of waste frying oil (WFO). The results showed that the methyl ester conversion was 67.57% for commercial CaO and it was 94.52% for CaO obtained from the calcination–hydration–dehydration treatment of egg shell at a 5 wt% catalyst (based on oil weight), a methanol to oil ratio of 12:1, a reaction temperature of 65 °C and a reaction time of 1 h. The biodiesel conversion was determined by ¹H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (¹H NMR).     

Essential oil of Salvia aucheri mesatlantica as a green inhibitor for the corrosion of steel in 0.5 M H2SO4

Essential oil of aerial parts of Salvia aucheri Boiss. var. mesatlantica was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The oil was predominated by camphor (49.59%). The inhibitory effect of this essential oil was estimated on the corrosion of steel in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ using electrochemical polarization and weight loss measurements. The corrosion rate of steel is decreased in the presence of natural oil. The inhibition efficiency was found to increase with oil content to attain 86.12% at 2 g/L. Polarization curves revealed that the oil of S. aucheri mesatlantica acts as mixed type inhibitor with a strong predominance of anodic character. The temperature effect on the corrosion behavior of steel in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ without and with the inhibitor at 2 g/L was studied in the temperature range from 303 to 343 K, the associated activation energy have been determined. The adsorption of oil on the steel surface was found to obey Langmuir’s adsorption isotherm.     

A method for direct,semi-quantitative analysis of gas phase samples using gas chromatography–inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

A new and complete GC–ICP-MS method is described for direct analysis of trace metals in a gas phase process stream. The proposed method is derived from standard analytical procedures developed for ICP-MS, which are regularly exercised in standard ICP-MS laboratories. In order to implement the method, a series of empirical factors were generated to calibrate detector response with respect to a known concentration of an internal standard analyte. Calibrated responses are ultimately used to determine the concentration of metal analytes in a gas stream using a semi-quantitative algorithm. The method was verified using a traditional gas injection from a GC sampling valve and a standard gas mixture containing either a 1 ppm Xe + Kr mix with helium balance or 100 ppm Xe with helium balance. Data collected for Xe and Kr gas analytes revealed that agreement of 6–20% with the actual concentration can be expected for various experimental conditions.To demonstrate the method using a relevant “unknown” gas mixture, experiments were performed for continuous 4 and 7 hour periods using a Hg-containing sample gas that was co-introduced into the GC sample loop with the xenon gas standard. System performance and detector response to the dilute concentration of the internal standard were pre-determined, which allowed semi-quantitative evaluation of the analyte. The calculated analyte concentrations varied during the course of the 4 hour experiment, particularly during the first hour of the analysis where the actual Hg concentration was under predicted by up to 72%. Calculated concentration improved to within 30–60% for data collected after the first hour of the experiment. Similar results were seen during the 7 hour test with the deviation from the actual concentration being 11–81% during the first hour and then decreasing for the remaining period. The method detection limit (MDL) was determined for the mercury by injecting the sample gas into the system following a period of equilibration. The MDL for Hg was calculated as 6.8 μg · m^− 3. This work describes the first complete GC–ICP-MS method to directly analyze gas phase samples, and detailed sample calculations and comparisons to conventional ICP-MS methods are provided.     

A new method for determination of antithrombotic activity of egg white protein hydrolysate by microplate reader

A new method for the determination of antithrombotic activity of egg white protein hydrolysate(EWPH)was developed using amicroplate reader.Reaction was carried out at 37℃ and pH 7.2 with fibrinogen concentration 0.1%.Microplate reading wasconducted at 405 nm.Inhibition rate of EWPH on thrombin activity showed linearity(R~2=0.9971),when the inhibition rate was inthe range of 10-90%.The lower limit of detection(LLD,at 99.7%probability)and the biological limit of detection(BLD,at 99.7%probability)of the method were 10.643 and 40 mg/mL,respectively.The repeatability standard deviation(R.S.D.)was 1.08%.Thestandard deviation of the method was 0.027 AT-U.     

Counter-current chromatography for oil analysis: Retention features and kinetic effects

Application of counter-current chromatography (CCC) for oil analysis has been suggested for the first time. CCC looks very promising as a tool for pre-concentration and isolation of trace elements from oil. Features of stationary phase retention of two-phase liquid systems (oil or oil products–aqueous nitric acid solutions) in CCC have been investigated. The influence of physicochemical properties of crude oil and oil products used as a mobile phase on the volume of stationary phase (acidic aqueous solutions) retained in CCC was studied. Chromatographic behavior of several oil samples was studied. It has been shown that physicochemical properties of test oil influence its chromatographic behavior. Optimal values of density and viscosity (ρ < 0.85 g/cm³, n < 7 cSt) of crude oil and oil products that could be analyzed using CCC were estimated. The influence of the column rotational speed and flow rate of mobile phase on the stationary phase retention was also investigated. It is known that kinetic aspects (mass transfer of elements between phases) can play a very important role in selecting an optimal composition of stationary phase for the pre-concentration of elements from oil. The influence of nitric acid concentration in the stationary phase on mass transfer was studied. Kinetic characteristic for trace element recovery has been investigated for the optimization of pre-concentration conditions of trace elements from crude oil and oil products. The extraction recoveries of Zn, Mn, Fe, Ni, V, Cu, Cd, Pb and Ba by CCC in dynamic mode are in the range of 75–95% while they are lower than 35% under batch conditions.     

Effect of acetone accumulation on structure and dynamics of lipid membranes studied by molecular dynamics simulations

The modulation of the properties and function of cell membranes by small volatile substances is important for many biomedical applications. Despite available experimental results, molecular mechanisms of action of inhalants and organic solvents, such as acetone, on lipid membranes remain not well understood. To gain a better understanding of how acetone interacts with membranes, we have performed a series of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a POPC bilayer in aqueous solution in the presence of acetone, whose concentration was varied from 2.8 to 11.2 mol%. The MD simulations of passive distribution of acetone between a bulk water phase and a lipid bilayer show that acetone favors partitioning into the water-free region of the bilayer, located near the carbonyl groups of the phospholipids and at the beginning of the hydrocarbon core of the lipid membrane. Using MD umbrella sampling, we found that the permeability barrier of ∼0.5 kcal/mol exists for acetone partitioning into the membrane. In addition, a Gibbs free energy profile of the acetone penetration across a bilayer demonstrates a favorable potential energy well of −3.6 kcal/mol, located at 15–16 Å from the bilayer center. The analysis of the structural and dynamics properties of the model membrane revealed that the POPC bilayer can tolerate the presence of acetone in the concentration range of 2.8–5.6 mol%. The accumulation of the higher acetone concentration of 11.2 mol% results, however, in drastic disordering of phospholipid packing and the increase in the membrane fluidity. The acetone molecules push the lipid heads apart and, hence, act as spacers in the headgroup region. This effect leads to the increase in the average headgroup area per molecule. In addition, the acyl tail region of the membrane also becomes less dense. We suggest, therefore, that the molecular mechanism of acetone action on the phospholipid bilayer has many common features with the effects of short chain alcohols, DMSO, and chloroform.     

A comparison of lipase and trypsin encapsulated in mesoporous materials with varying pore sizes and pH conditions

Immobilized enzymes have an advantage over enzymes free in solution in that they are easily recovered after completed reaction. In addition, immobilization often gives enhanced stability. Entrapment of an enzyme in the pores of a mesoporous material is an attractive procedure since the enzyme is immobilized without any covalent bonding to a support which may be detrimental to the catalytic performance. The objective of this work is to compare the encapsulation and catalytic performance of lipase from Mucor miehei and trypsin from bovine pancreas, two hydrolases with rather dissimilar properties and structures. We also demonstrate the importance of the pore dimensions and the pH for proper function of the encapsulated enzyme. Mesoporous silica particles (SBA-15) with three different pore sizes (50 Å, 60 Å and 89 Å) were synthesized and hexagonal structures with narrow pore size distributions were confirmed with TEM, SAXS and N₂-adsorption. Lipase and trypsin were encapsulated separately in the silica particles and the results indicate distinct differences between the two enzymes, both in loading capacity and catalytic activity. For trypsin the encapsulation rate and the loading capacity were large with a maximum reached at pH 7.6. The largest product yield was obtained with the particles with 60 Å pores, however, the yield was significantly lower than with free trypsin. For lipase optimal encapsulation rate and loading capacity were reached with the particles with 89 Å pores at pH 6.0 but were low compared to trypsin. However, the catalytic activity of the encapsulated lipase was more than twice as large as for free lipase, which can be explained by an interfacial activation of lipase at the silica surface.     

GC and GC/MS analyses of the Algerian Lantana camara leaf essential oil: Effect against Sitophilus granarius adults

The bioactivity of the essential oil extracted by hydrodistillation from Lantana camara leaves was assessed under laboratory conditions. The composition of L. camara essential oil included large amounts of sesquiterpene, mainly β-caryophyllene (35.70%) and caryophyllene oxide (10.04%). The tested essential oil showed good fumigant activity within 1 week of exposure for all tested doses. Moreover, remanence study confirmed that the oil was efficient during 2 weeks.