Influence of hydrothermal treatment on the dimensional stability of beech wood

Hydrothermal treatment of wood material products with many interesting properties such as enhanced dimensional stability, lower equilibrium moisture content and increased biological durability. The effects of hydrothermal treatment on dimensional stability, oven dry density and water absorption of beech wood (Fagus Orientalis) naturally grown, has been studied in present research that extremely used in Iran. Hydrothermal applied to the wood samples (2.5Cm?2.5Cm?2.5Cm) in three different temperatures (150 oC, 160 oC, 170 oC) and four different durations (1h, 3h, 5h and 7h) in reactor. Then, the samples and their controls were immersed in water at 25 oC, 65% relative humidity for various periods. Volumetric swelling percentage and rate of the water absorption values of the samples and their controls were measured at a period of 24 hour in 8 steps on basis of oven dried dimension. The obtained data were analyzed using Microsoft Office (EXCEL 2003). The data analysis indicated that best anti-swelling efficiency value was achieved at 170 oC (treating temperature) within 1 hour (treating time) and 8 steps of soaking - dried measurement by hydrothermal treatment. Consequences for anti-swelling efficiency, decreasing of samples specific gravity, water absorption and water repellency effectiveness values obtained 27.95%, 8.49%, 56.41% and 20.20% respectively. Therefore, hydrothermal treatment showed a little decreasing at 150 oC to 170oC in specific gravity of treatment samples because maximum lessening of specific gravity obtained 8.02% in the highest condition of treatmentDimensional stability after final soaking

A specific case in the classification of woods by FTIR and chemometric: discrimination of Fagales from Malpighiales

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic data was used to classify wood samples from nine species within the Fagales and Malpighiales using a range of multivariate statistical methods. Taxonomic classification of the family Fagaceae and Betulaceae from Angiosperm Phylogenetic System Classification (APG II System) was successfully performed using supervised pattern recognition techniques. A methodology for wood sample discrimination was developed using both sapwood and heartwood samples. Ten and eight biomarkers emerged from the dataset to discriminate order and family, respectively. In the species studied FTIR in combination with multivariate analysis highlighted significant chemical differences in hemicelluloses, cellulose and guaiacyl (lignin) and shows promise as a suitable approach for wood sample classification

Anti-angiogenesis properties of Crocus pallasii subsp. haussknechtii, a popular ethnic food

Abstract Background and objectives: Angiogenesis is essential for tumor survival. Inhibiting angiogenesis could be a mechanism for hindering tumor development. Numerous studies have now been focused on agiogenesis inhibitors and many of such studies have targeted plant materials. In the present study, Crocus pallasii subsp. haussknechtii has been evaluated for anti-angiogenesis properties. Methods: Anti-angiogenesis activity of the plant extracts and fractions has been investigated through wound healing assay in HUV-EC-C cells. The cytotoxic activity has also been evaluated by MTT assay. Results: The methanol extract and the methanol fraction of the corm along with the chloroform fraction of the aerial parts demonstrated to be cytotoxic to HUV-EC-C cells with IC 50 values of 27.2, 74.1 and 60.0 μg/mL, respectively while the chloroform fraction of the corm showed the most considerable anti-angiogenesis property among the samples in wound healing assay. Conclusion: Regarding the results of the present study, Crocus pallasii subsp. haussknechtii is suggested for further studies in cancer research evaluations

Application of chemometric analysis to infrared spectroscopy for the identification of wood origin

Chemical characteristics of wood are used in this study for plant taxonomy classification based on the current Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification (APG III System) for the division, class and subclass of woody plants. Infrared spectra contain information about the molecular structure and intermolecular interactions among the components in wood but the understanding of this information requires multivariate techniques for the analysis of highly dense datasets. This article is written with the purposes of specifying the chemical differences among taxonomic groups, and predicting the taxa of unknown samples with a mathematical model. Principal component analysis, t-test, stepwise discriminant analysis and linear discriminant analysis, were some of the chosen multivariate techniques. A procedure to determine the division, class, subclass and order of unknown samples was built with promising implications for future applications of Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy in wood taxonomy classification

Anti-angiogenesis properties of Crocus pallasii subsp. haussknechtii, a popular ethnic food

Background and objectives: Angiogenesis is essential for tumor survival. Inhibiting angiogenesis could be a mechanism for hindering tumor development. Numerous studies have now been focused on agiogenesis inhibitors and many of such studies have targeted plant materials. In the present study, Crocus pallasii subsp. haussknechtii has been evaluated for anti-angiogenesis properties. Methods: Anti-angiogenesis activity of the plant extracts and fractions has been investigated through wound healing assay in HUV-EC-C cells. The cytotoxic activity has also been evaluated by MTT assay. Results: The methanol extract and the methanol fraction of the corm along with the chloroform fraction of the aerial parts demonstrated to be cytotoxic to HUV-EC-C cells with IC50 values of 27.2, 74.1 and 60.0 μg/mL, respectively while the chloroform fraction of the corm showed the most considerable anti-angiogenesis property among the samples in wound healing assay. Conclusion: Regarding the results of the present study, Crocus pallasii subsp. haussknechtii is suggested for further studies in cancer research evaluations