Supplementation with Magnesium Salts—A Strategy to Increase Nutraceutical Value of Pleurotus djamor Fruiting Bodies

The use of substrates supplemented with minerals is a promising strategy for increasing the nutraceutical value of Pleurotus spp. The current research was performed to analyze the effect of substrate supplementation with magnesium (Mg) salts on the Mg content, biomass, and chemical composition of pink oyster mushroom (Pleurotus djamor) fruiting bodies. Before inoculation, substrate was supplemented with MgCl₂ × 6 H₂O and MgSO₄, both salts were applied at three concentrations: 210, 420, and 4200 mg of Mg per 2 kg of substrate. The harvest period included three flushes. Substrate supplementation with 4200 mg of Mg caused the most significant decrease in mushroom productivity, of about 28% for both Mg salts. The dry matter content in fruiting bodies was significantly lower in the treatment in which 210 mg of Mg was applied as MgSO₄ in comparison to the control. Supplementation effectively increased the Mg content in fruiting bodies of P. djamor by 19–85% depending on the treatment, and significantly affected the level of remaining bioelements and anions. One hundred grams of pink oyster fruiting bodies, supplemented with Mg salts, provides more than 20% of the Mg dietary value recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); thus, supplementation can be an effective technique for producing mushrooms that are rich in dietary Mg. Although P. djamor grown in supplemented substrate showed lower productivity, this was evident only in the fresh weight because the differences in dry weight were negligible. Mg supplementation increased the antioxidant activity of the fruiting bodies, phenolic compounds, and some amino acids, including L-tryptophan, and vitamins (thiamine and l-ascorbic acid).     

Stability of Ibuprofen in its Inclusion Complex with β-Cyclodextrin

The ibuprofen--cyclodextrin inclusion complex was prepared by theco-precipitation method. The identity of the obtained product was verified by X-ray and thermogravimetric techniques. The effect of -cyclodextrin on the stability of ibuprofen was analysed.     

Pressure effect on grain boundary wetting at various temperatures

Bicrystals of Fe-6 at.% Si alloy containing <001> 5 tilt grain boundaries with a deposited zinc layer have been annealed at various hydrostatic pressure at four temperatures between 700° and 905°C. After the anneals the dihedral angle of the grain boundary groove formed at the site of the grain boundary intersection with the solid-melt interphase boundary has been measured. The transition from complete to incomplete wetting of the grain boundary by the zinc-rich melt (dewetting phase transition) has been found to occur as the pressure increased at all temperatures studied. The temperature dependence of the dewetting transition pressure p _w has been determined. That dependence has a minimum at a temperature of 790°C, which is close to the peritectic temperature in the Fe–Zn system (782°C). A thermodynamic analysis of the wetting phenomena in the two-component system, based on Becker's regular solution model for the surface tension of the interphase boundary, explains the minimum in the p _w (T) dependence.     

Multicomponent analysis with a computerized flow injection system using LED photometric detection

An original computer-controlled solid-state photometer has been developed and its potential for simultaneous multicomponent flow-injection analysis of binary and ternary mixtures is demonstrated. The device is simple in construction. Its principle of operation is based on rapid sequential measurements of the absorbance of the complexes formed by the analytes with chromogenic reagents at the wavelengths corresponding to the emission maxima of three light emitting diodes (563, 580 and 638 nm).     

Atom-transfer radical polymerization of poly(ethylene oxide) macromonomers in aqueous media

Soluble comb-shaped and swelling network polymers based on monomethacrylate (M = 2080) and bismethacrylate (M = 4000) poly(ethylene oxide) macromonomers, have been synthesized by the controlled atom-transfer radical polymerization in aqueous media. PEG 2000 methyl ether ethyl-2-bromoisobutyrate and 2-bromoisobutyrate, in combination with CuBr, CuBr₂, and 2,2′-bipyridyl, have been used as initiators. The length of the main chain of comb-shaped polymers, as estimated with multidetector chromatography, is in good agreement with the calculated values in the 15–20 range at M _w /M _n = 1.42–1.89. The polymerization of the methacrylate macromonomer proceeds at a high rate and with a nearly quantitative conversion. The replacement of 10–80 mol % CuBr with CuBr₂ appreciably decelerates polymerization and decreases polydispersity to 1.14–1.21, while the experimental and calculated values of chain lengths remain equal. This finding indicates a higher level of process control. The polymer networks thus prepared manifest Gaussian elastic behavior, as is evident from the relationship between the elastic modulus G and the swelling degree Q that is consistent with the classical prediction G ～ Q ^m , where m = ?1/3. Within the framework of the accepted model of networks of this type, this fact suggests the short length of polymethacrylate chains. In addition, the relationship between the time of attainment of the gelation point and the composition of the initiation system agrees with the atomtransfer controlled polymerization mechanism. The efficiencies of various radical polymerization methods for controlling the network structure are compared.     

A Stopped-flow Study on the Kinetics and Mechanism of CO2 Uptake by the cis-[Cr(1,10-phenanthroline)2(OH2)2]3+ Complex Ion

The kinetics of the reaction between gaseous CO₂ and the cis-[Cr(phen)₂(OH₂)₂]³⁺ ion leading to the formation of the carbonato complex ion, have been studied over the pH and temperature ranges: 3 < pH < 6 and 5 < T < 25 °C, respectively, at a constant ionic strength of 1 m (NaClO₄). Investigations were carried out using the stopped-flow spectrophotometry technique in the UV–Vis range: 340–700 nm. The major reactant species in the pH range studied was cis-[Cr(phen)₂(OH)(OH₂)]²⁺ ion, which underwent reaction with CO₂ to form cis-[Cr(phen)₂(OH₂)(HCO₃)]²⁺ ion. Subsequently, slower ring closure of the latter species to form the bidentate carbonato chelate was observed. The possible mechanism has been discussed and the activation parameters ΔH^† and ΔS^† were also determined for the reaction studied.     

Interferences in ultratrace speciation of organolead and organotin by gas chromatography with atomic spectrometric detection

Interferences in trace and ultratrace speciation analysis of organotin and organolead compounds in various samples by gas chromatography coupled with atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and/or microwave induced plasma atomic emission spectrometry (MIP AES) are investigated. Particular attention is given to the effects of matrix co-extractives and reagents impurities introduced during sample preparation. Their influence on the detection limits is discussed in terms of baseline noise level, blank value, formation of artefacts and signal suppression. Loss of column resolution during the analysis of some matrices is observed.     

Formation and thermal decomposition of aluminium nitroxy compounds

During the reactions of lithium oxide with aluminium nitride, and of lithium nitride with aluminium oxide, the formation has been observed of a previously unknown compound, of composition Li₂AlNO. The course of its thermal decomposition has also been determined.

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Zusammenfassung Es wurde das Auftreten einer bisher unbekannten Verbindung der Zusammensetzung LiAlNO bei den Reaktionen von Lithiumoxid mit Aluminiumnitrid und Lithiumnitrid mit Aluminiumoxid beobachtet. Der Verlauf der thermischen Zersetzung dieser Verbindung wurde bestimmt.

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Li₂AlNO. .

     

Conducting polymer membranes for low activity potentiometric ion sensing

Conducting polymer (CP) films, used as ion-sensing membranes under open circuit potentiometric conditions, are usually characterised with rather high detection limit, in the range of 10⁻⁴-10⁻⁵ mol dm⁻³. This effect is unfavourable, not only from the point of view of CP applications in potentiometry as ion sensitive membranes, but also when these materials are used as ion-to-electron transducers (solid contacts) for ion-selective electrodes. The theoretical considerations presented underline the crucial role of spontaneous processes of polymer charging/discharging—the source of observed high detection limit of sensors comprising CP layer under zero current conditions. Although the mechanism of occurring process is different from that observed for plastic, solvent polymeric based ion-selective electrodes, the ultimate result—alteration of activity of electrolyte at the membrane/solution interface leading to elevation of the detection limit—is the same.The method of estimation of parameters characterising spontaneous charge transfer processes is presented. The values obtained can be used to calculate the resulting polymer/solution interface activity of electrolyte ions, thus the detection limit of CP membrane can be theoretically predicted.A method of lowering of the detection limit of conducting polymer membranes, applying galvanostatic polarisation to compensate the spontaneous process of polymer charging/discharging, is presented.The experimental results obtained for poly(pyrrole), poly(N-methylpyrrole) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) are in good accordance with predictions of the presented model.     

Solvatochromic equilibria of cobalt(II) chloride in binary mixtures of dipolar aprotic solvents with water

The visible absorption spectra of CoCl₂ in binary mixtures of acetone, dmf, dma and dmso with H₂O show the existence of configuration equilibria between tetrahedral (T) and octahedral (O) species. Linear correlations between the values of log K (K = [O]/[T]) and the mole fraction of H₂O, _w, have been observed in all the systems under study; their slopes decrease linearly with an increase of the donor number, DN, of the organic component of the mixture. The formation of octahedral species is enthalpy favoured but entropy disfavoured. It was found that both H and S values change linearly with _w and the slopes of these relationships depend clearly on the DN values.