Aqueous extracts of Agave sisalana boles have prebiotic potential

Abstract

This work aimed at evaluating the prebiotic potential of the aqueous extract and crude polysaccharides from Agave sisalana boles by an in vitro screening. Crude polysaccharides were obtained from the aqueous bole extract by precipitation with acetone and resuspension in water. The liquid extract and the polysaccharide solution were then spray dried and submitted to thermal analysis and quantification of metabolites. Prebiotic activity was checked on probiotic strains belonging to the Lactobacillus genus using inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides, fructose and glucose as positive controls. The powder of A. sisalana bole extract, which has recently been identified as a rich source of inulin, exhibited higher potential of fermentation compared with crude polysaccharides.     

Molecular Characteristics and Antioxidant Activity of Spruce (Picea abies) Hemicelluloses Isolated by Catalytic Oxidative Delignification

Spruce (Picea abies) wood hemicelluloses have been obtained by the noncatalytic and catalytic oxidative delignification in the acetic acid-water-hydrogen peroxide medium in a processing time of 3–4 h and temperatures of 90–100 °C. In the catalytic process, the H₂SO₄, MnSO₄, TiO₂, and (NH₄)₆Mo₇O₂₄ catalysts have been used. A polysaccharide yield of up to 11.7 wt% has been found. The hemicellulose composition and structure have been studied by a complex of physicochemical methods, including gas and gel permeation chromatography, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The galactose:mannose:glucose:arabinose:xylose monomeric units in a ratio of 5:3:2:1:1 have been identified in the hemicelluloses by gas chromatography. Using gel permeation chromatography, the weight average molar mass M_w of hemicelluloses has been found to attain 47,654 g/mol in noncatalytic delignification and up to 42,793 g/mol in catalytic delignification. Based on the same technique, a method for determining the α and k parameters of the Mark–Kuhn–Houwink equation for hemicelluloses has been developed; it has been established that these parameters change between 0.33–1.01 and 1.57–472.17, respectively, depending on the catalyst concentration and process temperature and time. Moreover, the FTIR spectra of the hemicellulose samples contain all the bands characteristic of heteropolysaccharides, specifically, 1069 cm⁻¹ (C–O–C and C–O–H), 1738 cm⁻¹ (ester C=O), 1375 cm⁻¹ (–C–CH₃), 1243 cm⁻¹ (–C–O–), etc. It has been determined by the thermogravimetric analysis that the hemicelluloses isolated from spruce wood are resistant to heating to temperatures of up to ~100 °C and, upon further heating, start destructing at an increasing rate. The antioxidant activity of the hemicelluloses has been examined using the compounds simulating the 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radicals.     

Natural Polymers-Based Materials: A Contribution to a Greener Future

Natural polymers have emerged as promising candidates for the sustainable development of materials in areas ranging from food packaging and biomedicine to energy storage and electronics. In tandem, there is a growing interest in the design of advanced materials devised from naturally abundant and renewable feedstocks, in alignment with the principles of Green Chemistry and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This review aims to highlight some examples of the research efforts conducted at the Research Team BioPol4fun, Innovation in BioPolymer-based Functional Materials and Bioactive Compounds, from the Portuguese Associate Laboratory CICECO–Aveiro Institute of Materials at the University of Aveiro, regarding the exploitation of natural polymers (and derivatives thereof) for the development of distinct sustainable biobased materials. In particular, focus will be given to the use of polysaccharides (cellulose, chitosan, pullulan, hyaluronic acid, fucoidan, alginate, and agar) and proteins (lysozyme and gelatin) for the assembly of composites, coatings, films, membranes, patches, nanosystems, and microneedles using environmentally friendly strategies, and to address their main domains of application.     

Preservation of Mimosa tenuiflora Antiaflatoxigenic Activity Using Microencapsulation by Spray-Drying

Mimosa tenuiflora aqueous extract (MAE) is rich in phenolic compounds. Among them, condensed tannins have been demonstrated to exhibit a strong antioxidant and antiaflatoxin B1 activities in Aspergillus flavus. Since antioxidant capacity can change with time due to environmental interactions, this study aimed to evaluate the ability of encapsulation by spray-drying of Mimosa tenuiflora aqueous extract to preserve their biological activities through storage. A dry formulation may also facilitate transportation and uses. For that, three different wall materials were used and compared for their efficiency. Total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, antifungal and antiaflatoxin activities were measured after the production of the microparticles and after one year of storage at room temperature. These results confirmed that encapsulation by spray-drying using polysaccharide wall materials is able to preserve antiaflatoxin activity of Mimosa tenuiflora extract better than freezing.     

杜氏盐藻多糖的高效体积排阻色谱的保留特性及其分析方法的研究

通过对从杜氏盐藻中提取出的不同多糖级分在高效体积排阻色谱柱(Waters Ultrahydragel Linear,7.8 mm i.d.×300 mm,2根串联)上的保留特性的考察及其分离分析条件的优化,建立了高效体积排阻色谱分析盐藻多糖平均相对分子质量及其分布的方法。结果表明:流动相中盐的种类及其浓度、pH值对3种酸性多糖级分(特别是硫酸化多糖级分PD4a)的保留行为有显著影响;在柱温为45 ℃,流速为0.9 mL/min条件下,使用0.1 mol/L的NaAc水溶液作流动相基本上能消除非特异性吸附作用及分子间缔合等因素的干扰,使各多糖级分基本以非缔合状态按立体排除机制保留和分离。在优化的色谱条件下,测得的盐藻多糖5个级分的重均相对分子质量(Mw)分别为1548000,33000,67000,424000,10000;测得的硫酸化多糖级分PD4a的Mw和峰面积的相对标准偏差分别为1.7%和 0.88%(n=5)。     

海藻多糖的组成及结构光谱分析

海藻多糖具有抗凝血等多种生物活性,其活性与多糖的组成结构有关。本文对近年来红藻、褐藻及少量绿藻多糖的单糖组成及含量研究以及FT-IR和12^C NMR两种主要光谱手段对多糖结构研究的结果进行了介绍。     

菌类多糖链构象及其表征方法研究进展 （专题报道）

 概述了菌类多糖在溶液中链构象及其表征方法的研究进展.主要报道从各种真菌（香菇、茯苓、灵芝、木耳、黄单胞菌、裂褶菌等）中提取的多糖在溶液中的分子量、分子形态和尺寸,即链构象.同时介绍多糖链构象对生物活性的影响,并且指出多糖刚性链带电基团及适量分子量有利于促进它与免疫细胞上受体结合,从而抑制肿瘤细胞增殖.由此表明,多糖链构象的研究对弄清其生物功能和推动生命科学发展十分重要.多糖在溶液中主要以无规线团、双螺旋、三螺旋、蠕虫状、棒状链以及聚集体构象存在,它取决于单糖组成、糖苷键、支链结构以及分子内和分子间作用力.测定链构象的方法主要包括光散射、黏度、显微技术（透射电镜,扫描电镜以及原子力显微镜）、微量热法和小角X-射线散射等.此外,介绍了多糖溶液理论以及计算链构象参数的表达式.