Technologies for the Extraction, Separation and Purification of polyphenols – A Review

Polyphenols are high molecular weight, organic molecules mainly found in plant kingdom. They are mostly known for their positive impact on health, specifically for their antioxidant activity. Indeed, they are widely studied for the prevention of multiple diseases such as cancer, inflammatory, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Nevertheless, extractions of these growing interest molecules remain challenging using conventional methods such as solvent extraction. That is why recent researches have focused on improving the extraction of polyphenol by using different technologies such as ultrasound, microwave, pressurized liquid, pulsed electric field, supercritical fluid and high hydrostatic pressure. In the current context, the assisted-extraction should demonstrate their potential to improve the extraction efficiency while being cost-effective and with a low environmental impact. To this end, technologies ought to, for instance, increase the solubility of polyphenol and the permeability of the cell wall. Consequently, this review is focused on the use and potential of these technologies to improve polyphenol extractions from plants as well as their purification using various methods. It discusses of the advantages and disadvantages with some examples of all these technologies assisted-extraction in comparison with conventional extraction method as well as purification technology

Utilisation des hautes pressions hydrostatiques pour la modulation des interactions protéiques et la séparation des protéines sériques

La valorisation du lactosérum par le fractionnement de molécules à hautes valeurs ajoutées est d’autant plus d’actualité au Québec, que ce sous-produit est encore considéré comme une matière résiduelle fertilisante. Bien que les concentrés de protéines sériques possèdent des propriétés nutritionnelles et fonctionnelles intéressantes, la production de protéines sous forme purifiée est davantage désirée pour leur utilisation dans des produits de qualité et très recherchés notamment dans les formulations infantiles. De manière générale, la séparation des protéines est réalisée à l’aide de technologies présentant un impact environnemental et économique non négligeable ainsi qu’une efficacité non optimale voire limitée. Dans le cas des protéines sériques majeures (alpha-lactalbumine – α-la et bêta-lactoglobuline – β-lg), la principale problématique reliée à leur récupération sélective concerne leur poids moléculaire similaire. L’utilisation de technologies émergentes et écoresponsables devient donc un incontournable, de manière à améliorer les procédés déjà existants. Cette thèse avait donc pour but de montrer que la modulation des interactions protéiques par l’utilisation des hautes pressions hydrostatiques (HPH), une technologie considérée comme éco-efficiente et émergente, et l’utilisation d’un ligand, les caséines (CN), permettrait de fractionner ces deux protéines majeures pour la génération de fractions purifiées à des rendements maximaux. Une première étude a permis de déterminer les paramètres optimaux de pressurisation (temps et niveau de pression) ainsi que le type de ligand utilisé (CN isoélectriques – CI ou micellaires – CM). De manière générale, les HPH ont permis de spécifiquement agréger la β-lg et les CN, tout en maintenant l’α-la sous sa forme monomérique. L’acidification subséquente à pH 4,6 a généré une précipitation de ces agrégats de β-lg/CN. L’augmentation du niveau de pression et de temps a permis d’augmenter l’agrégation entre la β-lg et les CN sans impacter significativement l’agrégation de l’α-la. De plus, l’utilisation de CI en comparaison aux CM n’a pas permis d’améliorer le taux de purification de l’α-la alors que le rendement de cette dernière a diminué. Une deuxième étude a porté sur l’évaluation du potentiel concentration-dépendant des CN à agir comme un ligand pour le fractionnement de l’α-la et la β-lg. De manière générale, l’augmentation de la concentration en CN n’a pas permis d’améliorer les taux de purification et les rendements en α-la. Au contraire, pour des concentrations élevées en CN, le taux d’agrégation de la β-lg diminuait, suggérant un effet chaperon des CN sur l’agrégation par les HPH de la β-lg. En outre, la pressurisation des protéines sériques sans CN a permis d’obtenir les meilleurs paramètres de purification en α-la ainsi qu’en β-lg. Finalement, une troisième étude a permis de mettre en avant l’effet chaperon de la β-CN sur l’agrégation de la β-lg en présence d’α-la. Alors que la pressurisation des protéines sériques seules ou combinées entraînait la formation d’agrégats globulaires de faibles poids moléculaires et générait des solutions turbides, l’ajout de β-CN a permis de réduire la turbidité des solutions, et ce, proportionnellement à sa concentration. En parallèle, cette limpidité corrélait avec la présence d’agrégats de types amorphes et de hauts poids moléculaires. Finalement, comme requis pour une protéine chaperonne, il a été démontré que la β-CN n’était pas impliquée dans ces agrégats. Les travaux de cette thèse ont rencontré l’ensemble des objectifs définis et contribuent significativement à l’avancement des connaissances concernant l’extension de l’application des HPH pour le fractionnement de l’α-la et la β-lg présentant ainsi des taux de purification et des rendements d’intérêt majeur pour l’industrie de transformation des produits laitiers.Whey valorization through the better fractionation of highly valuable molecules is more than ever relevant in Quebec, as it is still used as a fertilizing residual material. Although whey protein concentrates have multiple nutritional and functional properties, the production of highly pure single proteins is more desired for their use in high quality product and in particular for infant formula. Usually, proteins separation is done using technologies with significant environmental and economic impacts as well as non-optimized effectiveness. For the major whey proteins such as alpha-lactalbumin (α-la) and beta-lactoglobulin (β-lg), the main problematic is their similar molecular weight. Consequently, the use of emerging and green technologies is crucial to improve the efficiency and productivity of existing processes. This thesis aims to demonstrate the potential of using a green and emerging technology known as high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) coupled with a ligand, caseins (CN) for the modulation of proteinprotein interactions to improve the fractionation of the two major whey proteins: α-la and β-lg with higher purity. In the first study, optimal pressurization parameters (duration and level of pressure) as well as ligand type (isoelectric CN – IC or micellar – MC) were determined. Broadly, HHP treatment induced specific aggregation of β-lg and CN, while maintaining α-la in its monomeric form. Subsequent acidification to pH 4.6 caused the precipitation of the β-lg/CN aggregates. Increase of pressure and process duration increased the β-lg/CN aggregation without significantly impacting α-la aggregation. Furthermore, the use of IC in comparison with MC improved the purification rate of α-la while decreasing its recovery rate. As part of a second study, the evaluation of concentration of CN as a ligand for the fractionation of α-la and β-lg was studied. The increase in CN concentration did not improve both the purification and recovery rates of α-la. Rather, at higher CN concentration, β-lg aggregation rate decreased, suggesting a chaperone-like effect of CN on the β-lg pressure-induced aggregation. In addition, pressurization of whey proteins in the absence of CN, resulted in a higher purification rate and recovery degree for both α-la and β-lg in soluble and insoluble fractions, respectively. Lastly, in the third study, the chaperone-like effect of β-CN on the pressure-induced aggregation of β-lg and α-la was investigated. Pressurization of single or combined whey proteins generated small globular aggregates with turbid solutions, whereas, the addition of β-CN decreased the turbidity in a concentration dependent manner. In parallel, limpidity was correlated with the presence of larger but amorphous aggregates with higher molecular weight. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that β-CN was not part of the aggregates formed, which is an important criterion of a chaperone-like protein. The present work has met all the objectives set in this thesis and contributed significantly to the advancement of knowledge concerning the application of HHP for the fractionation of α-la and β-lg with high purification and recovery rates, which is of great interest for the dairy processing industry

A solution scan of societal options to reduce transmission and spread of respiratory viruses: SARS-CoV-2 as a case study.

Societal biosecurity - measures built into everyday society to minimize risks from pests and diseases - is an important aspect of managing epidemics and pandemics. We aimed to identify societal options for reducing the transmission and spread of respiratory viruses. We used SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) as a case study to meet the immediate need to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually transition to more normal societal conditions, and to catalog options for managing similar pandemics in the future. We used a 'solution scanning' approach. We read the literature; consulted psychology, public health, medical, and solution scanning experts; crowd-sourced options using social media; and collated comments on a preprint. Here, we present a list of 519 possible measures to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission and spread. We provide a long list of options for policymakers and businesses to consider when designing biosecurity plans to combat SARS-CoV-2 and similar pathogens in the future. We also developed an online application to help with this process. We encourage testing of actions, documentation of outcomes, revisions to the current list, and the addition of further options

Quantitative Historical Analysis Uncovers a Single Dimension of Complexity that Structures Global Variation in Human Social Organization

Do human societies from around the world exhibit similarities in the way that they are structured, and show commonalities in the ways that they have evolved? These are long-standing questions that have proven difficult to answer. To test between competing hypotheses, we constructed a massive repository of historical and archaeological information known as “Seshat: Global History Databank.” We systematically coded data on 414 societies from 30 regions around the world spanning the last 10,000 years. We were able to capture information on 51 variables reflecting nine characteristics of human societies, such as social scale, economy, features of governance, and information systems. Our analyses revealed that these different characteristics show strong relationships with each other and that a single principal component captures around three-quarters of the observed variation. Furthermore, we found that different characteristics of social complexity are highly predictable across different world regions. These results suggest that key aspects of social organization are functionally related and do indeed coevolve in predictable ways. Our findings highlight the power of the sciences and humanities working together to rigorously test hypotheses about general rules that may have shaped human history

Quantitative historical analysis uncovers a single dimension of complexity that structures global variation in human social organization.

Do human societies from around the world exhibit similarities in the way that they are structured, and show commonalities in the ways that they have evolved? These are long-standing questions that have proven difficult to answer. To test between competing hypotheses, we constructed a massive repository of historical and archaeological information known as "Seshat: Global History Databank." We systematically coded data on 414 societies from 30 regions around the world spanning the last 10,000 years. We were able to capture information on 51 variables reflecting nine characteristics of human societies, such as social scale, economy, features of governance, and information systems. Our analyses revealed that these different characteristics show strong relationships with each other and that a single principal component captures around three-quarters of the observed variation. Furthermore, we found that different characteristics of social complexity are highly predictable across different world regions. These results suggest that key aspects of social organization are functionally related and do indeed coevolve in predictable ways. Our findings highlight the power of the sciences and humanities working together to rigorously test hypotheses about general rules that may have shaped human history

Quantitative historical analysis uncovers a single dimension of complexity that structures global variation in human social organization

Do human societies from around the world exhibit similarities in the way that they are structured, and show commonalities in the ways that they have evolved? These are long-standing questions that have proven difficult to answer. To test between competing hypotheses, we constructed a massive repository of historical and archaeological information known as “Seshat: Global History Databank.” We systematically coded data on 414 societies from 30 regions around the world spanning the last 10,000 years. We were able to capture information on 51 variables reflecting nine characteristics of human societies, such as social scale, economy, features of governance, and information systems. Our analyses revealed that these different characteristics show strong relationships with each other and that a single principal component captures around three-quarters of the observed variation. Furthermore, we found that different characteristics of social complexity are highly predictable across different world regions. These results suggest that key aspects of social organization are functionally related and do indeed coevolve in predictable ways. Our findings highlight the power of the sciences and humanities working together to rigorously test hypotheses about general rules that may have shaped human history.This work was supported by a John Templeton Foundation Grant (to the Evolution Institute) entitled “Axial-Age Religions and the Z-Curve of Human Egalitarianism,” a Tricoastal Foundation Grant (to the Evolution Institute) entitled “The Deep Roots of the Modern World: The Cultural Evolution of Economic Growth and Political Stability,” Economic and Social Research Council Large Grant REF RES-060-25-0085 entitled “Ritual, Community, and Conflict,” an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme Grant 694986, and Grant 644055 from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (ALIGNED; www.aligned-project.eu). T.E.C. is supported by funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement 716212).Peer Reviewe

Multiorgan MRI findings after hospitalisation with COVID-19 in the UK (C-MORE): a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study

Introduction: The multiorgan impact of moderate to severe coronavirus infections in the post-acute phase is still poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities after hospitalisation with COVID-19, evaluate their determinants, and explore associations with patient-related outcome measures. Methods: In a prospective, UK-wide, multicentre MRI follow-up study (C-MORE), adults (aged ≥18 years) discharged from hospital following COVID-19 who were included in Tier 2 of the Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) and contemporary controls with no evidence of previous COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibody negative) underwent multiorgan MRI (lungs, heart, brain, liver, and kidneys) with quantitative and qualitative assessment of images and clinical adjudication when relevant. Individuals with end-stage renal failure or contraindications to MRI were excluded. Participants also underwent detailed recording of symptoms, and physiological and biochemical tests. The primary outcome was the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities (two or more organs) relative to controls, with further adjustments for potential confounders. The C-MORE study is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04510025. Findings: Of 2710 participants in Tier 2 of PHOSP-COVID, 531 were recruited across 13 UK-wide C-MORE sites. After exclusions, 259 C-MORE patients (mean age 57 years [SD 12]; 158 [61%] male and 101 [39%] female) who were discharged from hospital with PCR-confirmed or clinically diagnosed COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and Nov 1, 2021, and 52 non-COVID-19 controls from the community (mean age 49 years [SD 14]; 30 [58%] male and 22 [42%] female) were included in the analysis. Patients were assessed at a median of 5·0 months (IQR 4·2–6·3) after hospital discharge. Compared with non-COVID-19 controls, patients were older, living with more obesity, and had more comorbidities. Multiorgan abnormalities on MRI were more frequent in patients than in controls (157 [61%] of 259 vs 14 [27%] of 52; p<0·0001) and independently associated with COVID-19 status (odds ratio [OR] 2·9 [95% CI 1·5–5·8]; padjusted=0·0023) after adjusting for relevant confounders. Compared with controls, patients were more likely to have MRI evidence of lung abnormalities (p=0·0001; parenchymal abnormalities), brain abnormalities (p<0·0001; more white matter hyperintensities and regional brain volume reduction), and kidney abnormalities (p=0·014; lower medullary T1 and loss of corticomedullary differentiation), whereas cardiac and liver MRI abnormalities were similar between patients and controls. Patients with multiorgan abnormalities were older (difference in mean age 7 years [95% CI 4–10]; mean age of 59·8 years [SD 11·7] with multiorgan abnormalities vs mean age of 52·8 years [11·9] without multiorgan abnormalities; p<0·0001), more likely to have three or more comorbidities (OR 2·47 [1·32–4·82]; padjusted=0·0059), and more likely to have a more severe acute infection (acute CRP >5mg/L, OR 3·55 [1·23–11·88]; padjusted=0·025) than those without multiorgan abnormalities. Presence of lung MRI abnormalities was associated with a two-fold higher risk of chest tightness, and multiorgan MRI abnormalities were associated with severe and very severe persistent physical and mental health impairment (PHOSP-COVID symptom clusters) after hospitalisation. Interpretation: After hospitalisation for COVID-19, people are at risk of multiorgan abnormalities in the medium term. Our findings emphasise the need for proactive multidisciplinary care pathways, with the potential for imaging to guide surveillance frequency and therapeutic stratification

Effect of High Hydrostatic Pressure Intensity on Structural Modifications in Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) Proteins

Processing edible insects into protein extracts may improve consumer acceptability. However, a better understanding of the effects of food processing on the proteins is needed to facilitate their incorporation into food matrices. In this study, soluble proteins from Tenebrio molitor (10% w/v) were pressurized using high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) at 70–600 MPa for 5 min and compared to a non-pressurized control (0.1 MPa). Protein structural modifications were evaluated using turbidity measurement, particle-size distribution, intrinsic fluorescence, surface hydrophobicity, gel electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The observed decrease in fluorescence intensity, shift in the maximum emission wavelength, and increase in surface hydrophobicity reflected the unfolding of mealworm proteins. The formation of large protein aggregates consisting mainly of hexamerin 2 and ⍺-amylase were confirmed by protein profiles on gel electrophoresis, dynamic light scattering, and TEM analysis. The typical aggregate shape and network observed by TEM after pressurization indicated the potential involvement of myosin and actin in aggregate formation, and these were detected by mass spectrometry. For the first time, the identification of mealworm proteins involved in protein aggregation phenomena under HHP was documented. This work is the first step in understanding the mealworm protein–protein interactions necessary for the development of innovative insect-based ingredients in food formulations