Biosurfactant trehalose lipid‐enhanced ultrasound‐assisted micellar extraction and determination of the main antioxidant compounds from functional plant tea

Hydrosoluble trehalose lipid (a biosurfactant) was employed for the first time as a green extraction solution to extract the main antioxidant compounds (geniposidic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and rutin) from functional plant tea (Eucommia ulmoides leaves). Single‐factor tests and response surface methodology were employed to optimize the extraction conditions for ultrasound‐assisted micellar extraction combined with ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography in succession. A Box‐Behnken design (three‐level, three‐factorial) was used to determine the effects of extraction solvent concentration (1–5 mg/mL), extraction solvent volume (5–15 mL), and extraction time (20–40 min) at a uniform ultrasonic power and temperature. In consequence, the best analyte extraction yields could be attained when the trehalose lipid solution concentration was prepared at 3 mg/mL, the trehalose lipid solution volume was 10 mL and the extraction time was set to 35 min. In addition, the recoveries of the antioxidants from Eucommia ulmoides leaves analyzed by this analytical method ranged from 98.2 to 102%. These results indicated that biosurfactant‐enhanced ultrasound‐assisted micellar extraction coupled with a simple ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography method could be effectively applied in the extraction and analysis of antioxidants from Eucommia ulmoides leaf samples.     

Combinatıon of a Box-Behnken design technique with response surface methodology for optimization of the photocatalytic mineralization of C.I. Basic Red 46 dye from aqueous solution

The photodegradation of an industrial azo dye C.I Basic Red 46 was examined in a fixed-bed photoreactor using UV-lamps simulated to the solar irradiation. In our photodecolorization study, the UV/TiO₂ process was optimized using the Box-Behnken approach to evaluate the synergistic effects of three independent parameters (initial concentration of the dye, flow rate, and UV intensity) on mineralization effectiveness. The response surface methodology was in good promise with the prediction model (coefficients of determination of decolorization and mineralization were R²_Dec = 0.997 and R²_TOC = 0.994, respectively). The effects of the factors could be estimated from a second–order polynomial equation and student’s t-test. The optimal parameters of decolorization and mineralization were as follows: initial concentration of colorant 25 mg L⁻¹, rate of fluid flow 0.3 L min⁻¹, and ultraviolet light intensity 38.1 W m⁻². The decolorization and mineralization removal efficiency under these optimal conditions were 100% and 57.63% respectively. These results indicate that optimization using response surface methodology, based on the Box-Behnken approach, is an excellent tool for determining the optimal conditions, and the process can be easily extrapolated for a specific treatment of real waste water containing the azo dye C.I Basic Red 46. Also, the intermediates that were produced during photodegradation process of Basic Red 46 were determined by GC/MS.     

数学建模思维方法论

数学建模过程是一个复杂的思维过程,全国大学生数学建模竞赛又加以竞赛的形式,有其特殊性,其中如何研究问题、如何做出成果、如何争取获奖,本文探讨其思维规律、方法技巧.     

Extraction of Phenolic and Flavonoid Compounds from Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.) Seed Coat by Pressurized Liquid Extraction

Mung bean seed coat (MBC) is a by-product of the mung bean processing industry. It contains a large number of phenolic compounds with therapeutic anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and antioxidant properties. This research aimed to investigate the optimum conditions for phenolic and flavonoid extraction from MBC by pressurized liquid extraction (PLE). Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to study the effects of temperature (80–160 °C), pressure (1200–1800 psi) and ethanol concentration (5–95%) on total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) scavenging activity (ABTS). Scale-up extraction was also performed. The optimum conditions for extraction were 160 °C, 1300 psi and 50% ethanol. Under optimum conditions, the TPC was 55.27 ± 1.14 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g MBC, TFC was 34.04 ± 0.72 mg catechin equivalent (CE)/g MBC and ABTS scavenging activity was 195.05 ± 2.29 mg trolox equivalent (TE)/g MBC. The TFC and ABTS scavenging activity of the extracts obtained at the pilot scale (10 L) was not significantly different from the laboratory scale, while TPC was significantly increased. The freeze-dried MBC extract contained vitexin and isovitexin 130.53 ± 17.89, 21.21 ± 3.22 mg/g extract, respectively. In conclusion, PLE was able to extract phenolics, flavonoids with ABTS scavenging activity from MBC with the prospect for future scale-up for food industry.     

Pilot-Scale Optimization of Supercritical CO2 Extraction of Dry Paprika Capsicum annuum: Influence of Operational Conditions and Storage on Extract Composition

Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction was used to extract carotenoids from dry paprika Capsicum annuum. Studies regarding the effect of process parameters, including pressure (25–45 MPa), temperature (40–60 °C), and time (10–110 min), were carried out using response surface methodology. It was found that under optimal conditions (pressure of 45 MPa, temperature of 50 °C, and time of 74 min), the extract yield was 10.05%, and the total content of carotenoids in the extract was 4.21%, in good agreement with the predicted values (10.24% and 4.24%, respectively). Composition analysis showed that paprika extract mainly consisted of linoleic acid. There was no significant difference between the fatty acid content of the extracts obtained by SC-CO₂ extraction and n-hexane Soxhlet extraction. For functional purposes, the effect of storage conditions and time on the quality of paprika extract was also specified.     

Optimization of Flavonoid Extraction from Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge Flowers,and the Antioxidant and Antibacterial Capacity of the Extract

In the present work, the extraction process of total flavonoids (TFs) from X. sorbifolia flowers by ultrasound-assisted extraction was optimized under the response surface methodology (RSM) on the basis of single-factor experiments. The optimal extraction conditions were as follows: ethanol concentration of 80%, solid–liquid ratio of 1:37 (g/mL), temperature of 84 °C, and extraction time of 1 h. Under the optimized conditions, the extraction yield of the TFs was 3.956 ± 0.04%. The radical scavenging capacities of TFs against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) were much greater than that of rutin. The results of antibacterial experiments indicated that the TFs displayed strong inhibitory activities on E. coli, S. aureus and Bacillus subtilis. Therefore, X. sorbifolia flowers can be used as a novel source of natural flavonoids, and the TFs have potential applications as natural antioxidants or antibacterial agents in the food and pharmaceutical industries.     

Optimization of the Physical,Optical and Mechanical Properties of Composite Edible Films of Gelatin,Whey Protein and Chitosan

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the concentration of gelatin (G) (3–6 g), whey protein (W) (2.5–7.5 g) and chitosan (C) (0.5–2.5 g) on the physical, optical and mechanical properties of composite edible films (CEFs) using the response surface methodology (RSM), as well as optimizing the formulation for the packaging of foods. The results of the study were evaluated via first- and second-order multiple regression analysis to obtain the determination coefficient values with a good fit (R ˃ 0.90) for each of the response variables, except for the values of solubility and b*. The individual linear effect of the independent variables (the concentrations of gelatin, whey protein and chitosan) significantly affected (p ≤ 0.05) the water vapor permeability (WVP), strength and solubility of the edible films. The WVP of the edible films varied from 0.90 to 1.62 × 10⁻¹¹ g.m/Pa.s.m², the resistance to traction varied from 0.47 MPa to 3.03 MPa and the solubility varied from 51.06% to 87%. The optimized values indicated that the CEF prepared with a quantity of 4 g, 5 g and 3 g of gelatin, whey protein and chitosan, respectively, provided the CEF with a smooth, continuous and transparent surface, with L values that resulted in a light-yellow hue, a lower WVP, a maximum strength (resistance to traction) and a lower solubility. The results revealed that the optimized formulation of the CEF of G–W–C allowed a good validation of the prediction model and could be applied, in an effective manner, to the food packaging industry, which could help in mitigating the environmental issues associated with synthetic packaging materials.     

The recent progress of functionally graded CNT reinforced composites and structures

In the last decade,the functionally graded carbon nanotube reinforced composites(FG-CNTRCs)have attracted considerable interest due to their excellent mechanical properties,and the structures made of FG-CNTRCs have found broad potential applications in aerospace,civil and ocean engineering,automotive industry,and smart structures.Here we review the literature regarding the mechanical analysis of bulk CNTR nanocomposites and FG-CNTRC structures,aiming to provide a clear picture of the mechanical modeling and properties of FG-CNTRCs as well as their composite structures.The review is organized as follows:(1)a brief introduction to the functionally graded materials(FGM),CNTRCs and FG-CNTRCs;(2)a literature review of the mechanical modeling methodologies and properties of bulk CNTRCs;(3)a detailed discussion on the mechanical behaviors of FG-CNTRCs;and(4)conclusions together with a suggestion of future research trends.     

Production of Raw Starch-Saccharifying Thermostable and Neutral Glucoamylase by the Thermophilic Mold <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thermomucor indicae-seudaticae</Emphasis> in Submerged Fermentation

Among physical and nutritional parameters optimized by “one variable at a time” approach, four cultural variables (sucrose, MgSO₄ ^.7H₂O, inoculum size, and incubation period) significantly affected glucoamylase production. These variables were, therefore, selected for optimization using response surface methodology. The p-values of the coefficients for linear effect of sucrose and inoculum size were less than 0.0001, suggesting them to be the key experimental variables in glucoamylase production. The enzyme production (34 U/ml) attained under optimized conditions (sucrose, 2%; MgSO₄ ^.7H₂O, 0.13%; yeast extract, 0.1%; inoculum size, 5 × 10⁶ spores per 50 ml production medium; incubation time, 48 h; temperature, 40°C; and pH 7.0) was comparable with the value predicted by polynomial model (34.2 U/ml). An over all 3.1-fold higher enzyme titers were attained due to response surface optimization. The experimental model was validated by carrying out glucoamylase production in shake flasks of increasing capacity (0.25–2.0 l) and 22-l laboratory bioreactors (stirred tank and airlift), where the enzyme production was sustainable. Furthermore, the fermentation time was reduced from 48 h in shake flasks to 32 h in bioreactors.     

Statistical Optimization for Succinic Acid Production from E. Coli in a Cost-Effective Medium

Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed for optimization of medium components and cultural parameters in cost effective cane molasses based medium for attaining high yield of succinic acid. The important factors obtained by “one-variable-at-a-time-approach” (cane molasses, corn steep liquor, sodium carbonate, and inoculum density) were further optimized by RSM. The optimum values of the parameters obtained through RSM (cane molasses 12.5%, corn steep liquor 7.5%, and sodium carbonate 25 mM) led to almost double yield of succinic acid (15.2 g/l in 36 h) as against “one-variable-at-a-time-approach” (7.1 g/l in 36 h) in 500-ml anaerobic bottles containing 300-ml cane molasses based medium. Subsequently, in 10-l bioreactor succinic acid production from Escherichia coli was further improved to 26.2 g/l in 30 h under conditions optimized through RSM. This fermentation-derived succinic acid will definitely help in replacing existing environmentally hazardous and cost-intensive chemical methods for the production of succinic acid.