Apple Fibers as Carriers of Blackberry Juice Polyphenols: Development of Natural Functional Food Additives

Blackberry polyphenols possess various health-promoting properties. Since they are very sensitive to environmental conditions such as the presence of light, oxygen and high temperatures, the application of such compounds is restricted. Fibers are recognized as efficient carriers of polyphenols and are often used in polyphenols encapsulation. In the present study, the ability of apple fiber to adsorb blackberry juice polyphenols was examined. Freeze-dried apple fiber/blackberry juice complexes were prepared with different amounts of fibers (1%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10%) and a constant amount of blackberry juice. Polyphenol profile, antioxidant activity, inhibition of the α-amylase, color parameters, as well as the IR spectra, of the obtained complexes were assessed. The results showed a negative effect of higher amounts of fiber (more than 2%) on the adsorption of polyphenols and the antioxidant activity of complexes. With the proper formulation, apple fibers can serve as polyphenol carriers, and thus the application as novel food additives can be considered.     

Normal modes of a double pendulum at low energy levels

Nonlinear Dynamics - This study is concerned with a double pendulum and its regular behaviour associated with low energy levels and the influence of the associated initial conditions on the...     

On the motion of non-linear oscillators with a fractional-order restoring force and time variable parameters

An analytical approach to determine the approximate solution for the periodic motion of non-conservative oscillators with a fractional-order restoring force and slowly varying parameters is presented. The solution has the form of the first-order differential equation for the amplitude and phase of motion. The method used is based on the combination of the Krylov-Bogoliubov method with Hamilton's variational principle with the uncommutative rule for the variation of velocity. The conservative systems with slowly varying parameters are also considered. The corresponding adiabatic invariant is obtained. Two examples are given to illustrate derived theoretical results.     

Ferroelastic n‐butyl­ammonium dihydrogen­phosphate

Crystals of n‐butyl­ammonium di­hydrogenphosphate, C₄H₉NH₃⁺·H₂PO₄^?, reveal ferroelasticity at room temperature and a number of phase transitions when heated up to approximately 373 K. Some of these phase transitions show hysteresis effects. All atoms except two H atoms exist in pairs linked by the lost symmetry operations derived from the prototypic space group P2/b2₁/n2₁/a. Each of these two different H atoms is involved in an asymmetric hydrogen bond between an oxy­gen pair. Ferroelastic switching is concomitant with jumps of these hydrogen species from donor to acceptor O atoms. The studied structure belongs to the structural family of n‐hexyl‐ to n‐decyl­ammonium di­hydrogenphosphates and differs by localization of alternating layers from n‐propyl‐ and n‐pentyl­ammonium di­hydrogenphosphates. The studied crystal was slightly twinned; the minor domain constituted approximately 2%.     

White Chocolate with Resistant Starch: Impact on Physical Properties,Dietary Fiber Content and Sensory Characteristics

Resistant starch (RS) is a part of insoluble dietary fiber, and it could be recognized as a functional food ingredient in some types of confectionery products that lack dietary fiber. Unlike dark and milk chocolate, white chocolate does not contain fat-free cocoa solids rich in dietary fiber. In the present study, 5%, 10%, and 15% of white chocolate were substituted with RS in order to improve the nutritional value of enriched white chocolate. The influence of RS on rheological, textural, and thermal properties of the chocolate fat phase was firstly investigated, and then further influence on physical properties, dietary fiber content, and sensory characteristics of enriched white chocolates were investigated. The obtained results showed that enriched chocolates had increased content of total dietary fiber and reduced total fats and protein content in accordance with the added amount of RS. At the same time, RS increased viscosity and reduced the hardness and volume mean diameter in enriched chocolates in accordance with the added amount. RS improved the nutritional composition of white chocolate by increasing the content of dietary fiber. At the same time, RS did not impair the color and sensory characteristics of enriched white chocolates.     

Synthesis of [1′-(diphenylthiophosphoryl)ferrocenyl]ethyne and alkyne-metal complexes thereof

The novel functionalized ferrocene alkyne Ph₂P(S)fcCCH (1; fc = ferrocene-1,1′-diyl) was synthesized from Ph₂P(S)fcCHO (6) via the Corey-Fuchs reaction. It was further reacted with K₂[HgI₄]/KOH to give mercury(II) acetylide Hg{CCfcP(S)Ph₂}₂ (8), and with [Co₂(CO)₈] to afford the trimetallic Co₂Fe complex [(μ-η²:η²-1){Co(CO)₃}₂](Co-Co) (9). All compounds were characterized by spectral methods (IR, NMR, and MS) and by combustion or high-resolution MS elemental analyses. In addition, the crystal structures of 1, Ph₂PfcBr (5), 6, Ph₂P(S)fcCHCBr₂ (7), and 9 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.     

Pro-Apoptotic and Pro-Autophagic Properties of Cardenolides from Aerial Parts of Pergularia tomentosa

Pergularia tomentosa L., a milkweed tropical plant belonging to the family Asclepiadaceae, is a rich source of unusual cardiac glycosides, characterised by transfused A/B rings and a sugar moiety linked by a double link, generating a dioxanoid structure. In the present report, five cardenolides isolated from the aerial parts of the plant (calactin, calotropin, 12β-hydroxycalactin, 12β,6′-dihydroxycalotropin, and 16α-hydroxycalotropin) were investigated for their biological effects on a human hepatocarcinoma cell line. Cell viability was monitored by an MTT assay. The occurrence of apoptosis was evaluated by detecting caspase-3 activation and chromatin fragmentation. The ability of these compounds to induce autophagy was analysed by monitoring two markers of the autophagic process, LC3 and p62. Our results indicated that all cardenolides had cytotoxic effects, with IC₅₀ ranging from 0.127 to 6.285 μM. All compounds were able to induce apoptosis and autophagy, calactin being the most active one. Some of them also caused a reduction in cell migration and a partial block of the cell cycle into the S-phase. The present study suggests that selected cardenolides from aerial parts of P. tomentosa, particularly calactin, possess potentially desirable properties for further investigation as anticancer agents.     

Comparison of 1D a 2D ITP-MS performance parameters and application possibilities: Ultratrace determination of B vitamins in human urine

The possibility to investigate analytes at ultra-low concentration levels still remains a hot topic in bioanalysis. In this area, various preconcentration techniques are an integral part of analytical procedures. When applying electromigration separation techniques, an isotachophoresis has been advantageously employed many times for this purpose. To solve current biomedical tasks effectively, an advanced two-dimensional isotachophoretic instrument (in a hydrodynamically closed separation system with an enhanced sample load capacity) hyphenated with mass spectrometry (ITP-ITP-MS) has been proposed by Foret and coworkers. As a continuation, this work represents the first study dealing with a full validation of an ITP-ITP-MS method. In order to see the benefits of an online ITP sample pretreatment (preconcentration and clean-up) on the performance parameters, the developed 2D ITP-MS method was compared with a corresponding 1D ITP-MS method. Application potentialities of the compared methods were demonstrated via a determination of two B vitamins, namely thiamine and pyridoxine, in human urine samples. The developed 2D ITP-MS method showed its enhanced effectivity and usefulness for a routine biomedical use (here, a reliable screening of trace B vitamins in human urine without an offline sample preparation).     

Structural Characterization of Act c 10.0101 and Pun g 1.0101—Allergens from the Non-Specific Lipid Transfer Protein Family

(1) Background: Non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs), which belong to the prolamin superfamily, are potent allergens. While the biological role of LTPs is still not well understood, it is known that these proteins bind lipids. Allergen nsLTPs are characterized by significant stability and resistance to digestion. (2) Methods: nsLTPs from gold kiwifruit (Act c 10.0101) and pomegranate (Pun g 1.0101) were isolated from their natural sources and structurally characterized using X-ray crystallography (3) Results: Both proteins crystallized and their crystal structures were determined. The proteins have a very similar overall fold with characteristic compact, mainly α-helical structures. The C-terminal sequence of Act c 10.0101 was updated based on our structural and mass spectrometry analysis. Information on proteins’ sequences and structures was used to estimate the risk of cross-reactive reactions between Act c 10.0101 or Pun g 1.0101 and other allergens from this family of proteins. (4) Conclusions: Structural studies indicate a conformational flexibility of allergens from the nsLTP family and suggest that immunoglobulin E binding to some surface regions of these allergens may depend on ligand binding. Both Act c 10.0101 and Pun g 1.0101 are likely to be involved in cross-reactive reactions involving other proteins from the nsLTP family.