The Impact of Apple Variety and the Production Methods on the Antibacterial Activity of Vinegar Samples

Apple vinegar is a natural product widely used in food and traditional medicine as it contains many bioactive compounds. The apple variety and production methods are two factors that play a major role in determining the quality of vinegar. Therefore, this study aims to determine the quality of apple vinegar samples from different varieties (Red Delicious, Gala, Golden Delicious, and Starking Delicious) prepared by three methods using small apple pieces, apple juice, and crushed apple, through determining the physicochemical properties and antibacterial activity of these samples. The antibacterial activity was studied against five pathogenic bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli (ATB: 57), Escherichia coli (ATB: 97), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, using two methods, disk diffusion and microdilution, for determining the minimum inhibitory concentrations and the minimum bactericidal concentrations. The results of this study showed that the lowest pH value was 3.6 for Stark Delicious, obtained by liquid fermentation, and the highest acetic acid values were 4.7 and 4% for the vinegar of Red Delicious and Golden Delicious, prepared by solid fermentation, respectively. The results of the antibacterial activity showed considerable activity of apple vinegar on the tested strains. Generally, the Staphylococcus aureus strain appears less sensitive and Pseudomonas aeruginosa seems to be very sensitive against all samples, while the other strains have distinct sensitivities depending on the variety studied and the method used. A higher antibacterial activity was found in vinegar obtained by the apple pieces method and the Red Delicious variety, with a low MIC and MBC recorded, at 1.95 and 3.90 µL/mL, respectively. This study has shown that the choice of both apple variety and production method is therefore an essential step in determining and aiming for the desired quality of apple vinegar.     

Decompressing emulsion droplets favors coalescence

The destabilization process of an emulsion under flow is investigated in a microfluidic device. The experimental approach enables us to generate a periodic train of droplet pairs, and thus to isolate and analyze the basic step of the destabilization, namely, the coalescence of two droplets which collide. We demonstrate a counterintuitive phenomenon: coalescence occurs during the separation phase and not during the impact. Separation induces the formation of two facing nipples in the contact area that hastens the connection of the interfaces prior to fusion. Moreover, droplet pairs initially stabilized by surfactants can be destabilized by forcing the separation. Finally, we note that the fusion mechanism is responsible for a cascade of coalescence events in a compact system of droplets where the separation is driven by surface tension.     

New applications of variational iteration method using Adomian polynomials

In this paper, we discuss a new application of the variational iteration method considering Adomian’s polynomials on nonlinear physical equations. Two models of interest in physics are considered and solved by means of the variational iteration method. The behavior of the variational iteration method and the effects of different values of t are investigated. Comparisons are made among the standard Adomian decomposition method, exact solutions, and the proposed method. He’s variational iteration method is introduced to overcome the difficulty arising in calculating the Adomian polynomial in Adomian decomposition method. The results reveal that the proposed method is very effective and simple and can be applied to other nonlinear problems.     

An e.s.r. study of copper(II) complexes of N-hydroxyalkylsalicylideneimines

X-band e.s.r. spectra of copper(II) complexes of empirical formula Cu(Sal.NCH2CH2O)X (where X= H2O, py or Cl) and [Cu(Sal.NCH2CH2CH2O)]2 (Sal.N= OC6H4CHN) in solid and solution states at room temperature and at 77K are reported. In frozen solution at 77K the spectra show axial symmetry with a dx2−y2 ground state. The in-plane π-bonds show a moderate degree of covalence, while the out-of-plane π-bonds possess ionic character. The orbital populations of these complexes are 70.9, 81.3, 93.3 and 82.4% respectively, indicating a dx2−y2 ground state. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Molecular dynamics of amorphous/crystalline polymer blends studied by broadband dielectric spectroscopy

The molecular dynamics of poly(vinyl acetate), PVAc, and poly(hydroxy butyrate), PHB, as an amorphous/crystalline polymer blend has been investigated using broadband dielectric spectroscopy over wide ranges of frequency (10⁻² to 10⁵ Hz), temperature, and blend composition. Two dielectric relaxation processes were detected for pure PHB at high and low frequency ranges at a given constant temperature above the T_g. These two relaxation peaks are related to the α and α′ of the amorphous and rigid amorphous regions in the sample, respectively. The α′-relaxation process was found to be temperature and composition dependent and related to the constrained amorphous region located between adjacent lamellae inside the lamellar stacks. In addition, the α′-relaxation process behaves as a typical glass relaxation process, i.e., originated from the micro-Brownian cooperative reorientation of highly constraints polymeric segments. The α-relaxation process is related to the amorphous regions located between the lamellar crystals stacks. In the PHB/PVAc blends, only one α-relaxation process has been observed for all measured blends located in the temperature ranges between the T_g’s of the pure components. This last finding suggested that the relaxation processes of the two components are coupled together due to the small difference in the T_g’s (ΔT_g = 35 °C) and the favorable thermodynamics interaction between the two polymer components and consequently less dynamic heterogeneity in the blends. The T_g’s of the blends measured by DSC were followed a linear behavior with composition indicating that the two components are miscible over the entire range of composition. The α′-relaxation process was also observed in the blends of rich PHB content up to 30 wt% PHB. The molecular dynamics of α and α′-relaxation processes were found to be greatly influenced by blending, i.e., the dielectric strength, the peak broadness, and the dielectric loss peak maximum were found to be composition dependent. The dielectric measurements also confirmed the slowing down of the crystallization process of PHB in the blends.     

An approach to biologically important S‐heterocycles,dithiocarbamyls, and their relevant phosphono derivatives

The feasibility of insertions of carbanions between two sulfur atoms has been reported when 5‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐4‐cyano‐1,2‐dithiol‐3‐thione ( 1 ) and tetramethylthiuram disulfide ( 17 ) were allowed to react with unsaturated 2a,b and active phosphonium salts 11a,b . The reactions afforded, mainly, 1,3‐dithiols 4a,b and 14a,b together with substituted thiophenes 10a,b and 16a,b . Reactions of 1 and 17 with α‐alkylthiomethyl phosphonates 24a,b afforded the phosphonates 25a,b and 26a,b , respectively.     

Synthesis and characterization of copper(I) halide/pseudohalide adducts of 2-benzoylpyridine and x-ray crystal structure of [di-μ-iodo-bis(N,O-2-benzoylpyridine)dicopper(I)]

Dark-brown copper(I) complexes of the type CuXL, for X = Cl, Br, I, SCN and N₃, and orange-yellow complexes of the type (CuX)₂L, for X = Cl or Br, where L = 2-benzoylpyridine, have been prepared and characterized. All complexes exhibit strong CT bands in the visible region and gave non-conducting solutions in acetone and nitrobenzene. The IR spectral data suggest that 2-benzoylpyridine acts as a monodentate ligand in the orange-yellow complexes and as a bidentate chelating ligand in the brown complexes, whereas bridging halides and pseudohalides exist in both types. The structure of the 1 : 1 black iodide complex, as determined by X-ray crystallography, features a discrete, centrosymmetric [CuI(2-benzoylpyridine)]₂ molecule with a short CuCu distance of 2.587(1) Å. Each copper atom in the dimeric molecule is tetrahedrally coordinated by two μ-iodine atoms and the carbonyl oxygen and nitrogen atoms of the chelating 2-benzoylpyridine ligand. The orange-yellow complexes display visible emission when excited in the UV region, whereas the brown complexes do not.     

Epoxy resins from rosin acids: synthesis and characterization

A series of multifunctional cycloaliphatic glycidyl ester and ether epoxy resins were synthesized by reaction of condensed rosin acid‐formaldehyde resins with epichlorohydrin. The chemical structure of the produced resins was determined by IR and ¹H‐NMR analysis. The molecular weight of the produced resins was determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). A series of poly‐ (amide‐imide) hardeners were prepared from condensation of Diels–Alder adducts of rosin acid‐maleic anhydride and acrylic acid with triethylene tetramine and pentaethylene hexamine. These amines were also condensed with Diels–Alder adducts of rosin ketones. The curing exotherms of the produced epoxy resins with poly(amide‐imide) hardeners were investigated. The data of mechanical properties, solvent and chemical resistance indicate the superior adhesion of the cured epoxy resins. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Chromium(III), Molybdenum(III), Ruthenium(III) and Osmium(III) Complexes with N2O2–Schiff Bases of 2-Hydroxy-1-Naphthaldimines

Monomolybdenum, monochromium, triosmium and triruthenium clusters, containing weakly coordinated ligands, are valuable starting materials for the preparation of a wide variety of compounds because of the ease with which these ligands can be displaced by another substrate under mild conditions. Four widely used complexes of this type are Mo(CO)₆, Cr(CO)₆, Os₃(CO)₁₂ and Ru₃(CO)₁₂ respectively. These complexes react with 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldimines to give octahedral complexes which are characterized by elemental analyses, i.r. and u.v.–vis. spectra, molar conductances, d.t.a. and t.g.a. analyses, cyclic voltammetry, magnetic and e.s.r. measurements. The molar conductances in DMF solution indicate that the complexes are non-ionic. The i.r. spectra of complexes (3), (7) and (10) show (CO) bands due to bonded CO groups, however complexes (6) and (13) show (CO) bands due to bonded, bridged and terminal CO groups. The g ₁₁-values of the complexes indicate that they have covalent bond character. Also, the electrochemical reduction of the complexes has been discussed.