39 research outputs found
Characterization of Annona cherimola mill. Seed oil from Madeira Island: a possible biodiesel feedstock
The possibility of using Annona seed oil as an
added value product, namely as a source of biodiesel, is
explored. Milled Annona seeds were extracted with hexane
at room temperature (72 h) and at solvent boiling point
(6 h). Oil content was found to be 25 and 22.4% respec tively. The oil was characterized in terms of lipid compo sition (HPLC–APCI–MS and 13C NMR), resistance to
oxidation and acidity index. FAME composition was
determined by GC–MS and five major peaks were identi fied. Production of biodiesel from Annona’s seed oil was
achieved by base-catalyzed transesterification. Density,
viscosity, refraction coefficient, acid value, cold filter
plugging point, cloud point and oxidation stability were
measured. The iodine value and the ‘‘apparent cetane
number’’ were calculated. Density, viscosity, acid value,
iodine value, cold filter plugging point and cloud point
were within EN14214 specifications and the calculated
‘‘apparent cetane number’’ was also indicative of a suitable
product.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
The impact of viral mutations on recognition by SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells.
We identify amino acid variants within dominant SARS-CoV-2 T cell epitopes by interrogating global sequence data. Several variants within nucleocapsid and ORF3a epitopes have arisen independently in multiple lineages and result in loss of recognition by epitope-specific T cells assessed by IFN-γ and cytotoxic killing assays. Complete loss of T cell responsiveness was seen due to Q213K in the A∗01:01-restricted CD8+ ORF3a epitope FTSDYYQLY207-215; due to P13L, P13S, and P13T in the B∗27:05-restricted CD8+ nucleocapsid epitope QRNAPRITF9-17; and due to T362I and P365S in the A∗03:01/A∗11:01-restricted CD8+ nucleocapsid epitope KTFPPTEPK361-369. CD8+ T cell lines unable to recognize variant epitopes have diverse T cell receptor repertoires. These data demonstrate the potential for T cell evasion and highlight the need for ongoing surveillance for variants capable of escaping T cell as well as humoral immunity.This work is supported by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC); Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences(CAMS) Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (CIFMS), China; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, and UK Researchand Innovation (UKRI)/NIHR through the UK Coro-navirus Immunology Consortium (UK-CIC). Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 samples and collation of data wasundertaken by the COG-UK CONSORTIUM. COG-UK is supported by funding from the Medical ResearchCouncil (MRC) part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI),the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR),and Genome Research Limited, operating as the Wellcome Sanger Institute. T.I.d.S. is supported by a Well-come Trust Intermediate Clinical Fellowship (110058/Z/15/Z). L.T. is supported by the Wellcome Trust(grant number 205228/Z/16/Z) and by theUniversity of Liverpool Centre for Excellence in Infectious DiseaseResearch (CEIDR). S.D. is funded by an NIHR GlobalResearch Professorship (NIHR300791). L.T. and S.C.M.are also supported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Medical Countermeasures Initiative contract75F40120C00085 and the National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) inEmerging and Zoonotic Infections (NIHR200907) at University of Liverpool inpartnership with Public HealthEngland (PHE), in collaboration with Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the University of Oxford.L.T. is based at the University of Liverpool. M.D.P. is funded by the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical ResearchCentre (BRC – IS-BRC-1215-20017). ISARIC4C is supported by the MRC (grant no MC_PC_19059). J.C.K.is a Wellcome Investigator (WT204969/Z/16/Z) and supported by NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centreand CIFMS. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or MRC
SEPARATION OF THE MAIN NEUTRAL LIPIDS INTO CLASSES AND SPECIES BY PR-HPLC AND UV DETECTION
A reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic method is
described that allows separation and estimation of the main neutral
lipid classes as well as several species of each class. By the
represented method waxes, hydrocarbons, fatty acids and their methyl
esters, sterols and their esters, free glycerylethers, fatty alcohols,
vitamin E and mono-, di- and triglycerides are separated into classes
and into class species within 55min.
A stepped gradient elution with methanol/water, acetonitrile/methanol,
acetonitrile/tetrahydrofuran and isopropanol/acetonitrile was performed
onto a reverse phase C18 HPLC column and the effluent was monitored by W
detection at 206 nm.
Application of the method in a plant extract and in a vegetable oil
sample is represented
Antiatherogenic effect of Pistacia lentiscus via GSH restoration and downregulation of CD36 rnRNA expression
Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia (Anacardiaceae) grows almost exclusively on
Chios Island, Greece, and gives a resinous exudate resin used for
culinary purposes by Mediterranean people. We investigated the molecular
mechanisms through which total polar extract of the resin inhibits
oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) cytotoxic effect on peripheral
blood mononuclear cell (PBMC). Cells exposed to oxLDL underwent
apoptosis and necrosis, dependent on the duration of exposure. When
culturing cells with oxLDL and the polar extract concurrently, we
observed inhibition of both the phenomena. Because under oxidative
stress the pro-oxidant systems outbalance the antioxidant, potentially
producing oxidative damage and ultimately leading to cell death, we
measured the levels of intracellular antioxidant glutathione (GSH).
Additionally, we measured CD36 expression, a class B scavenger receptor,
on CID14-positive cells, as CD36 has been identified as the oxLDL
receptor in macrophages and may play a pivotal role in atherosclerotic
foam cell formation. oxLDL decreased GSH levels and upregulated CD36
expression. P. lentiscus extract restored GSH levels and downregulated
CD36 expression, even at the mRNA level. In order to find out the
biologically drastic constituents of the resin’s polar extract,
fractions derived from RP-HPLC analysis were examined for their
antioxidant effect on oxidatively stressed PBMC. The triterpenoid
fraction revealed remarkable increase in intracellular GSH. We suggest
GSH restoration and downregulation of CD36 mRNA expression as the
pathways via which P. lentiscus triterpenes exert
antioxidant/antiatherogenic effect. Additionally, our results provide
strong evidence of the resin’s antiatherogenic effect; therefore it is
credited with beneficial health aspects. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
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