Selective Extraction of Sinapic Acid Derivatives from Mustard Seed Meal by Acting on pH: Toward a High Antioxidant Activity Rich Extract

The aim of this paper is to study the effect of the pH on the extraction of sinapic acid and its derivatives from mustard seed meal. Solutions of acidic pH (pH 2), basic pH (pH 12) and distilled water (uncontrolled pH ~ 4.5) were tested at different percentages of ethanol. The maximum extraction yield for sinapic acid (13.22 µmol/g of dry matter (DM)) was obtained with a buffered aqueous solution at pH 12. For ethyl sinapate, the maximum extraction yield reached 9.81 µmol/g _DM with 70% ethanol/buffered aqueous solution at pH 12. The maximum extraction yield of sinapine (15.73 µmol/g _DM) was achieved with 70% ethanol/buffered aqueous solution at pH 2. The antioxidant activity of each extract was assessed by DPPH assay; the results indicated that the extracts obtained at pH 12 and at low ethanol percentages (<50%) exhibit a higher antioxidant activity than extracts obtained at acidic conditions. Maximum antioxidant activity was reached at pH 12 with buffer solution (11.37 mg of Trolox Equivalent/g _DM), which confirms that sinapic acid-rich fractions exhibit a higher antioxidant activity. Thus, to obtain rich antioxidant extracts, it is suggested to promote the presence of sinapic acid in the extracts.     

Innovative separation and preconcentration technique of coagulating homogenous dispersive micro solid phase extraction exploiting graphene oxide nanosheets

A uniquely novel, fast, and facile technique is introduced for the first time in which a scant amount of graphene oxide (GO), without modification, has been utilized in dispersive mode of solid phase extraction (SPE) for an efficient yet simple separation. The proposed method of coagulating homogenous dispersive micro solid phase extraction (CHD-µSPE) is based on coagulation of homogeneous GO solution with the aid of polyetheneimine (PEI). CHD-µSPE use full adsorption capacity of GO because in this method was used GO solution obtained from synthesis process without drying step and stacking nanosheets. In optimized condition, 30 µL GO solution (7 mg mL⁻¹), obtained in synthesis process, was injected into 1.5 mL the sample solution followed by immediate injection of 53 µL PEI solution (1 mg mL⁻¹). After inserting PEI, GO sheets aggregate and can be readily separated by centrifugation. PEI not only cause aggregation of GO, but also form three-dimensional network of GO with easy handling in following separation steps. Lead, cadmium, and chromium were selected as model analytes and the effecting parameters including the amount of GO, concentration of PEI, sample pH, extraction time, and type of desorption solvent were investigated and optimized. The results indicate that the proposed CHD-µSPE method can be successfully applied GO in dispersive mode of SPE without effecting on good capability adsorption of GO. The novel method was applied in determination of lead, cadmium, and chromium in water, human saliva, and urine samples by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The detection limits are as low as 0.035, 0.005, and 0.012 µg L⁻¹ for Pb, Cd, and Cr respectively. The intra-day precisions (RSDs) were lower than 3.8%. CHD-µSPE method showed a good linear ranges of 0.24–15.6, 0.015–0.95 and 0.039–2.33 µg L⁻¹ for Pb, Cd and Cr respectively. Method performance was investigated by determination of mentioned metal ions in river water, human urine and saliva sample with good recoveries in range of 94.2–103.0%. The accuracy of the method was underpinned by correct analysis of a standard reference material (SRM: 2668 level I, Urine).     

Support effects on the chemical property and catalytic activity of Co-Mo HDS catalyst in sulfur recovery

Effects of carbon nanotubes (CNT) and alumina (γ-Al2O3) supports on the catalytic activities of hydrodesulfurization (HDS) process over CoMo catalyst have been studied. XRD results indicated that the main active phases in CNT and γ-Al2O3 supported Co-Mo catalysts are MoO2 and MoO3, respectively. The TPR results reveal that the reduction peak temperatures of the active species on CNT supported Co-Mo catalyst is lower than those on alumina supported Co-Mo catalyst, indicating that the CNT supports favor the r...     

Improved conditions for measurement of the specific heat capacities of pure triglycerides by differential scanning calorimetry

Reproducible specific heat capacities (C _p) of triglycerides can be obtained by using heat-flux DSC under improved operating conditions. The improved operating parameters, such as the scanning rate, the sample mass and the atmosphere within the DSC chamber, were established via statistical analysis of the experimental data with trilaurin as a sample. The specific heat capacity results on trilaurin were compared with the values calculated by using estimation methods. The precision of the specific heat capacity measured for trilaurin under these conditions was within ±1%.     

DNAzyme Based Amplified Biosensor on Ultrasensitive Fluorescence Detection of Pb (II) Ions from Aqueous System

A label -free DNAzyme amplified biosensor is found to be highly selective and sensitive towards fluorescent detection of Pb²⁺ ions in aqueous media. The DNAzyme complex has designed by the hybridization of the enzyme and substrate strand. In the presence of Pb²⁺, the DNAzyme activated and cleaved the substrate strand of RNA site (rA) into two oligonucleotide fragments. Further, the free fragment was hybridized with a complementary strand on the surface of MBs. After magnetic separation, SYBER Green I was added and readily intercalate with the dsDNA to gives a bright fluorescence signal with intensity directly proportional to the concentration of Pb²⁺ions. A detection limit of 5 nM in Pb²⁺ the detection range 0 to 500 nM was obtained. This label- free fluorescent biosensor has been successfully applied to the determination of environmental water samples. Then results open up the possibility for real-time quantitative detection of Pb²⁺ with convenient potential applications in the biological and environmental field.

Open image in new window

Graphical Abstract

     

Study of the Rod-Like and spherical nano-ZnO morphology on H2S removal from natural gas

The purpose of this work is to study the adsorption of H₂S from gas streams containing He and CH₄ with an emphasis on the influence of the sorbent morphology on the process of adsorption. As an example of the approach, a unique modified nano-ZnO sample with a Rod-like morphology was fabricated and comparatively studied together with a nano-spherical ZnO sample under various conditions. The objective was accomplished applying central composite design (CCD) in order to screen the effects of significant adsorption parameters obtained by Placket-Burman design. Morphology of the sorbent, temperature, space velocity and H₂S feed concentration were initially evaluated. Placket-Burman design experiments showed a wide deviation of adsorption capacity of 0.03-0.24 g H₂S/g ZnO. Results indicated that comparing other parameters Rod like morphology comparing spherical, had significant effect on all four independent H₂S adsorption parameters. Besides that, space velocity and H₂S feed concentration were found to be effective parameters on adsorption of hydrogen sulfide in the range of 4000-8000 h⁻¹ and 0.5-1 mol% respectively. Moreover, experiments revealed a negligible effect of adsorption temperature in range of 150-250 °C. The optimized condition obtained a dynamic capacity of 0.2401 g H₂S/g ZnO at space velocity 4000 h⁻¹ and H₂S feed concentration of 1 mol%. Proceeding our study by significant parameters, analysis of variance (ANOVA) displayed a high coefficient of determination (R²) value of 0.931-0.959, indicating the satisfactory adjustment of the quadratic model.     

Viscometric and Morphological Properties of Novel Magnesium Electrolyte–Polyacrylamide Composite Polymers in Aqueous Solution

The viscometric properties of novel magnesium electrolyte–polyacrylamide composite polymers in aqueous solutions were investigated using response surface methodology. Independent factors such as concentration of the magnesium electrolyte (magnesium chloride and magnesium hydroxide), concentration of polyacrylamide, and the solution temperature were taken into account for viscometric modeling. Experiments were carried out according to central composite design, which includes factorial, central and axial points of the factors. Solution viscosity was taken as the response variable. A polynomial model for the viscometric properties was developed using ANOVA and non-linear regression analysis, and the R² values are 0.9995 and 0.9996 for aqueous solutions of magnesium chloride–polyacrylamide (MCPAM) and magnesium hydroxide–polyacrylamide (MHPAM) composite polymers, respectively. Two diagnostic plots have been constructed to validate the developed models for the natural logarithm of viscosity of aqueous solutions of the MCPAM and MHPAM composite polymers. The least-squares values show that the developed models are adequate for predictive purposes. TEM was used to investigate the morphological properties of MCPAM and MHPAM composite polymers. Magnesium chloride was impregnated into the polyacrylamide chain while magnesium hydroxide was just adsorbed on the surface of the polyacrylamide chain.     

Copper(II) complexes containing pyridine-based and phenolate-based systems: Synthesis,characterization, DFT study,biomimetic catalytic activity of catechol oxidase and phenoxazinone synthase

A template Schiff condensation of 2,6-pyridine dicarbaldehyde or 2,6-diformyl-4- bromophenol and 1,3–diamino-2-hydroxy propane or 3,4-diaminotoluene in the presence of copper(II) salts (CuX₂) (X = Cl, Br, CH₃COO, or ClO₄) affords different types of copper(II) complexes. Depending on the employed molar ratio of the dicarbonyl compounds and diamines, different types of copper(II) complexes formed during the template condensation reaction. Structural formulation of the complexes was confirmed by elemental analysis (C, H, N, and M), physical measurements such as thermal analysis (TAG & DTG), molar conductivity, and magnetic moments in addition to spectral studies (UV–Vis, IR, and ESR). Homobinuclear in a four-coordinate square planar and five-coordinate square pyramidal and trigonal bipyramidal in monomeric structures are proposed. A mononuclear hexa-coordinate in an octahedral geometry is suggested as well. Oxidase biomimetic catalytic activity of these newly synthesized copper(II) complexes was examined toward the aerobic oxidation of 4-tert-butylcatechol (4-TBCH₂) and o-aminophenol under catalytic conditions. Both catalytic and kinetic investigations demonstrate promising oxidase catalytic activity and based on the kinetic results, probable mechanistic catalytic implications are discussed. Geometrical structures of representative copper(II) complexes were determined by optimizing their bond lengths, bond angles, dihedral angles, and the structural index (τ).     

Corrigendum

Theoretical calculations of g-tensor components for the spin–orbit quartet, which arises as the ground state in three-coordinate d⁹ complexes and low-spin d⁷ complexes of D_3h symmetry, have been made on the assumption that the spin–orbit interaction is commensurable with the electron-vibrational interaction. The calculations were carried out within the framework of crystal field theory using representations of the hole formalism. The analytical expressions for g-tensor components were obtained limited to first-order terms. It was shown that the account of the electron–vibrational interaction in the excited quartet only provides three-axial anisotropy for the g-tensor. It was shown that the g-tensor rotates in the plane of the three-coordinate structure with consensual motion of the atoms. The resulting expressions for the g-factor components are in good agreement with experimental data. Being universal for a wide range of contributions of the vibronic and spin–orbit interactions, these expressions essentially fill the gap in studying structures of coordination compounds.     

Odd Log-Logistic Modified Weibull Distribution

We introduce and study a new distribution called the odd log-logistic modified Weibull (OLLMW) distribution. Various of its structural properties are obtained in terms of Meijer’s G-function, such as the moments, generating function, conditional moments, mean deviations, order statistics and maximum likelihood estimators. The distribution exhibits a wide range of shapes varying skewness and takes all possible forms of hazard rate function. We fit the OLLMW and some competitive models to two data sets and prove empirically that the new model has a superior performance among the compared distributions as evidenced by some goodness-of-fit statistics.