Antimicrobial Properties of Lyophilized Extracts of Olive Fruit,Pomegranate and Orange Peel Extracts against Foodborne Pathogenic and Spoilage Bacteria and Fungi In Vitro and in Food Matrices

Several novel antimicrobials with different concentrations of olive, pomegranate, and orange fruit pulp extracts were produced from agricultural byproducts and, after lyophilization, their antimicrobial activity and potential synergistic effects were evaluated in vitro and in food samples against foodborne pathogenic and spoilage bacteria and fungi. The Minimum Inhibitory of the tested bacteria was 7.5% or 10%, while fungi were inhibited at a concentration of 10% or above. The optical density of bacterial and yeast cultures was reduced to a different extent with all tested antimicrobial powders, compared to a control without antimicrobials, and mycelium growth of fungi was also restricted with extracts containing at least 90% olive extract. In food samples with inoculated pathogens and spoilage bacteria and fungi, the 100% olive extract was most inhibitory against E. coli, S. typhimurium, and L. monocytogenes in fresh burger and cheese spread samples (by 0.6 to 1.8 log cfu/g), except that S. typhimurium was better inhibited by a 90% olive and 10% pomegranate extract in burgers. The latter extract was also the most effective in controlling the growth of inoculated fungi (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium italicum, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa) in both yogurt and tomato juice samples, where it reduced fungal growth by 1–2.2 log cfu/g at the end of storage period. The results demonstrate that these novel encapsulated extracts could serve as natural antimicrobials of wide spectrum, in order to replace synthetic preservatives in foods and cosmetics.     

Ultrafast phosphazene‐promoted controlled anionic polymerization of styrenic monomers

The anionic polymerization of styrenic monomers with phosphazene bases as promoters, utilizing “seeding” technique in a nonpolar solvent and at room temperature was studied. In all experiments, the phosphazene base (t‐BuP₄, t‐BuP₂, and t‐BuP₁) was added in an equimolar amount to the organolithium initiator after the formation of oligomers (2 min) by conventional anionic polymerization. When t‐BuP₄ was used, the polymerization of styrene and 4‐methylstyrene was extremely fast (100 % conversion within 5 min) and the final homopolymers exhibited narrow molecular weight distribution and controlled molecular characteristics. Likewise, when weaker bases were employed, the polymerization was also controlled but showing slower reaction rate. To examine the “livingness” of this system, block copolymers were synthesized by sequential monomer addition. Further studies were conducted in order to extend this novel method to the anionic polymerization of dienes. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 456–464     

Stochastic and Self-Organisation Patterns in a 17-Year PM10 Time Series in Athens,Greece

This paper utilises statistical and entropy methods for the investigation of a 17-year PM₁₀ time series recorded from five stations in Athens, Greece, in order to delineate existing stochastic and self-organisation trends. Stochastic patterns are analysed via lumping and sliding, in windows of various lengths. Decreasing trends are found between Windows 1 and 3500–4000, for all stations. Self-organisation is studied through Boltzmann and Tsallis entropy via sliding and symbolic dynamics in selected parts. Several values are below −2 (Boltzmann entropy) and 1.18 (Tsallis entropy) over the Boltzmann constant. A published method is utilised to locate areas for which the PM₁₀ system is out of stochastic behaviour and, simultaneously, exhibits critical self-organised tendencies. Sixty-six two-month windows are found for various dates. From these, nine are common to at least three different stations. Combining previous publications, two areas are non-stochastic and exhibit, simultaneously, fractal, long-memory and self-organisation patterns through a combination of 15 different fractal and SOC analysis techniques. In these areas, block-entropy (range 0.650–2.924) is significantly lower compared to the remaining areas of non-stochastic but self-organisation trends. It is the first time to utilise entropy analysis for PM₁₀ series and, importantly, in combination with results from previously published fractal methods.Data Set License: license under which the dataset is made available (CC0, CC-BY, CC-BY-SA, CC-BY-NC, etc.)     

The influence of POSS nanoparticles on selected thermal properties of polyurethane-based hybrids

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Organic–inorganic hybrid materials, prepared via chemical synthesis route or physical blending of functionalized nanofillers within polymer...     

Recent Advances on the Anticancer Properties of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) and Its Major Constituents

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally with an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018 and a sustained rise in its incidence in both developing and developed countries. According to the WHO, about 1 in 6 deaths is due to cancer. Despite the emergence of many pioneer therapeutic options for patients with cancer, their efficacy is still time-limited and noncurative. Thus, continuous intensive screening for superior and safer drugs is still ongoing and has resulted in the detection of the anticancer properties of several phytochemicals. Among the spices, Crocus sativus L. (saffron) and its main constituents, crocin, crocetin, and safranal, have attracted the interest of the scientific community. Pharmacological experiments have established numerous beneficial properties for this brilliant reddish-orange dye derived from the flowers of a humble crocus family species. Studies in cultured human malignant cell lines and animal models have demonstrated the cancer prevention and antitumor activities of saffron and its main ingredients. This review provides an insight into the advances in research on the anticancer properties of saffron and its components, discussing preclinical data, clinical trials, and patents aiming to improve the pharmacological properties of saffron and its major ingredients.     

PEG-POSS Star Molecules Blended in Polyurethane with Flexible Hard Segments: Morphology and Dynamics

A star polymer with a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanne (POSS) core and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) vertex groups is incorporated in a polyurethane with flexible hard segments in-situ during the polymerization process. The blends are studied in terms of morphology, molecular dynamics, and charge mobility. The methods utilized for this purpose are scanning electron and atomic force microscopies (SEM, AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and to a larger extent dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS). It is found that POSS reduces the degree of crystallinity of the hard segments. Contrary to what was observed in a similar system with POSS pendent along the main chain, soft phase calorimetric glass transition temperature drops as a result of plasticization, and homogenization of the soft phase by the star molecules. The dynamic glass transition though, remains practically unaffected, and a hypothesis is formed to resolve the discrepancy, based on the assumption of different thermal and dielectric responses of slow and fast modes of the system. A relaxation α′, slower than the bulky segmental α and common in polyurethanes, appears here too. A detailed analysis of dielectric spectra provides some evidence that this relaxation has cooperative character. An additional relaxation g, which is not commonly observed, accompanies the Maxwell Wagner Sillars interfacial polarization process, and has dynamics similar to it. POSS is found to introduce conductivity and possibly alter its mechanism. The study points out that different architectures of incorporation of POSS in polyurethane affect its physical properties by different mechanisms.