Antimicrobial Effects of Basil,Summer Savory and Tarragon Lyophilized Extracts in Cold Storage Sausages

The problem of functional foods with bioactive components of natural origin is current for the food industry. Plant extracts rich in polyphenols with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity are a promising source for use in improving the quality and characteristics of fresh meat and meat products. In this context, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the physico-chemical, microbiological, sensory properties of sausages prepared with the addition of lyophilized extract of basil, thyme or tarragon. For the beginning, the total amount of polyphenols, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the extracts obtained from three spices were evaluated. In the sausages previously infected with Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli it was observed that there is a much larger number of colonies of microorganisms in the control sample compared to the other samples within 24 and 48 h. Moreover, following the addition of sausage extracts, no changes were found regarding their sensory acceptability.     

Paper-Based Probes with Visual Response to Vapors from Nitroaromatic Explosives: Polyfluorenes and Tertiary Amines

Although it is well-known that nitroaromatic compounds quench the fluorescence of different conjugated polymers and form colored Meisenheimer complexes with proper nucleophiles, the potential of paper as a substrate for those macromolecules can be further developed. This work undertakes this task, impregnating paper strips with a fluorene-phenylene copolymer with quaternary ammonium groups, a bisfluorene-based cationic polyelectrolyte, and poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (polyDMAEMA). Cationic groups make the aforementioned polyfluorenes attachable to paper, whose surface possesses a slightly negative charge and avoid interference from cationic quenchers. While conjugated polymers had their fluorescence quenched with nitroaromatic vapors in a non-selective way, polyDMAEMA-coated papers had a visual response that was selective to 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), and that could be easily identified, and even quantified, under natural light. Far from implying that polyfluorenes should be ruled out, it must be taken into account that TNT-filled mines emit vapors from 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) and dinitrobenzene isomers, which are more volatile than TNT itself. Atmospheres with only 790 ppbv TNT or 277 ppbv DNT were enough to trigger a distinguishable response, although the requirement for certain exposure times is an important limitation.     

On generalized Coulomb–Amontons’ law in the context of rigid body dynamics

Nonlinear Dynamics - A generalization of Coulomb–Amontons’ law of dry friction recently proposed by V. V. Kozlov is considered in the context of rigid body dynamics. Universal...     

Physicochemical Properties of Plant Protection Substances: I Polymorphism and Binary Systems of Triadimenol

 The fungicide triadimenol consists of a mixture of two diastereoisomers. Diastereoisomer A (1RS,2SR) could be obtained from the mixture by fractionated crystallization from ethanol/water and toluene, successively, whereas diastereoisomer B (1RS,2RS) could be separated by column chromatography on a silica gel column using ethylacetate as eluent. Four different crystal forms of diastereoisomer A could be derived. The modifications were characterized by means of thermal analysis (thermomicroscopy, DSC), FTIR-spectroscopy, FT-Raman-spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction, as well as pycnometry. The thermodynamic relationships are illustrated in a semischematic energy/temperature-diagram which provides information about the relative thermodynamic stabilities and physical properties of the four crystal forms. Mod. II (m.p. 132 °C, ΔH_f 33.1±0.2 kJ mol⁻¹, density 1.271±0.001 g cm⁻³) was obtained from toluene after the separation of diastereoisomer A and is enantiotropically related to mod. I (m.p. 138 °C, ΔH_f 32.0 ± 0.2 kJ mol⁻¹, density 1.243±0.001 g cm⁻³). The transition point of mod. II with mod. I was determined between 30 and 40 °C, which means that mod. II is thermodynamically stable at ambient conditions. Mod. III (m.p. 112 °C, ΔH_f 25.1±0.5 kJ mol⁻¹) and mod. IV were obtained from the melt. Furthermore, the phase diagrams of the binary systems of diastereoisomer B and the four modifications of diastereoisomer A were calculated by means of the experimentally obtained thermodynamical data. Received September 30, 1999. Revision July 30, 2000.     

Polyvalent metal cation modified dextran hydrogels: non-size exclusion applications

Dextran gels crosslinked covalently with epichlorohydrin and by coordinate bonding with polyvalent metal cations were prepared and characterized. Concentrations of the metal cations: 0.2 mmol/g of dextran almost always in the form of sulfate (Mg(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Ni(II), Co(II), Mn(II), Al(III), Fe(III) and Ti(IV)) as well as of epichlorohydrin: 1.5 mol/mol of dextran were kept at a constant level. The contents of the modifying cations and some physicochemical properties of spherical gel particles were investigated by atom absorption spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectrometry (IR) and derivatography. Characteristic shifts, in comparison with the linear dextran and epichlorohydrin crosslinked dextran gel of band wavelengths and of temperatures were revealed by IR and derivatography. These observations are connected with differences in the complexation strengths of polyvalent metal cations with hydroxyl groups of epichlorohydrin crosslinked dextran matrix. Some nonexclusion directions of application covering catalytic activity in dry as well as swollen aqueous gel states were tested. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Recent applications of magnesium- and Zinc-TMP amides in the synthesis of bioactive targets

Magnesium- and zinc-TMP amides have come out from relative obscurity to be recognized as important tools in modern synthetic chemistry. Development of LiCl-activated metal amides like TMPMgCl·LiCl and TMP₂Zn·2MgCl₂·2LiCl has been important to obtain new organometallic reagents through highly chemo- and regioselective reactions. Herein, we review how these reagents are applied in the synthesis of important bioactive targets such as natural products and drugs.     

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant,Anti-Inflammatory,and Enzyme Inhibitory Activities of an Endemic Species from Southern Algeria: Warionia saharae

Warionia saharae Benth. & Coss. (Asteraceae) is an endemic species of North Africa naturally grown in the southwest of the Algerian Sahara. In the present study, this species’ hydromethanolic leaf extract was investigated for its phenolic profile characterized by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector and an electrospray mass spectrometer (UHPLC-DAD-ESI/MS). Additionally, the chemical composition of W. saharae was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and its antioxidant potential was assessed through five in vitro tests: DPPH^● scavenging activity, ABTS^●+ scavenging assay, galvinoxyl scavenging activity, ferric reducing power (FRP), and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity. The UHPLC-DAD-ESI/MS analysis allowed the detection and quantification of 22 compounds, with taxifolin as the dominant compound. The GC–MS analysis allowed the identification of 37 compounds, and the antioxidant activity data indicate that W. saharae extract has a very high capacity to capture radicals due to its richness in compounds with antioxidant capacity. The extract also showed potent α-glucosidase inhibition as well as a good anti-inflammatory activity. However, weak anti-α-amylase and anticholinesterase activities were recorded. Moreover, an in silico docking study was performed to highlight possible interactions between three significant compounds identified in W. saharae extract and α-glucosidase enzyme.     

Thermal analysis of the microsegregation phenomenon in some alloys from the Sb?Sn system

Thermal analysis in experimental verification to theoretical prediction of the maximum microsegregation phenomenon in the peritectic alloys solidification has been applied. Satisfactory agreement has been obtained between some results of theoretical calculations and experimental ones. Usibility of the DTA-5 apparatus (original construction of the Baykov Institute of Metallurgy) to detect quite small amounts of low-solidifying non-equilibrium phases has been proved.     

Push-pull molecules bearing a hydrazonocyclopentadiene acceptor moiety: from the synthesis to organic photovoltaic applications

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Use of hop cone extract obtained under supercritical CO2 conditions for producing antibacterial all-purpose cleaners

This paper attempts to demonstrate empirically the possibility of using a hydrophobic extract of hop cone obtained under the conditions of supercritical carbon dioxide to produce all-purpose cleaner with antimicrobial activity and low irritant potential. A series of prototypes of products varied by the extract concentration was developed. The formulations were assessed for physicochemical properties: particle size, turbidity, and color. The results indicate that the hydrophobic extracts of hop cone can be a valuable component of chemical products intended for washing, having a broad spectrum of action and contributing to improvement of the product’s safety.