From a Sequential to a Continuous Approach for LVV-h7 Preparation during Enzymatic Proteolysis in a Microfluidic- Based Extraction Process

Intensification of process is increasingly interesting in the context of recovery of industrial wastes. Among these compounds, animal blood is underexploited although it is an important source of bioactive peptides. LVV-h7 (LVVYPWTQRF) is one of these bioactive peptides from bovine haemoglobin hydrolysate. Our innovative approach consists of a continuous process involving at microfluidic scale for enzymatic proteolysis of bovine haemoglobin by pepsin, selective extraction of LVV-h7 to an organic solvent during the enzymatic reaction, followed by a second extraction to an aqueous phase for organic solvent recycling. Thus, the obtainment of pure LVV-h7 peptide with an efficient methodology of extraction and solvent recycling was proved

Giant gastric polyp mimicking a duodenal tumor

Inflammatory fibroid polyps are very rare gastrointestinal tumors. We present the case of a 66-year-old woman with severe anemia and a giant gastric polyp which had intermittent duodenal intussusception. Ultrasonography showed increased gastric wall thickness and suspected an ampulloma, as revealed also by endoscopy and computed tomography. Ultrasonography reassessment showed later the intragastric mass, which was confirmed by endosonography: giant pediculated hypervascular polyp suggesting malignancy. Challenging phenomena at different investigation methods were due to intermittent protrusion into the first duodenal segment mimicking an ampulloma, but without gastric outlet syndrome or a malignant component, despite the severe anemia. Abnormal US aspect of the stomach in clinical context of anemic syndrome, requires EUS with biopsies in order to confirm underlying lesions. The particularities of this case are the: discordance between imaging aspects and the protrusion into the first duodenal segments with consecutive cholestasis mimicking an ampulloma and the lack of gastric outlet syndrome

Implementing a singing-based intervention for postpartum depression in Denmark and Romania: a brief research report

BackgroundThere is a burgeoning evidence-base that demonstrates the positive impact of the arts on our health, wellbeing, and health behaviors. However, very few studies have focused on how to optimize the implementation of these activities for different sociocultural contexts. Due to the increasing interest in scaling effective arts interventions as part of public health strategies, and in line with global goals of achieving health equity, this is an essential focus.AimUsing the case study of a singing for post-partum depression (PPD) intervention with empirically-demonstrated clinical effects, this brief research report explores implementation of an arts and health intervention that has been successful in the United Kingdom (“Music and Motherhood”) for the new contexts of Silkeborg (Denmark) and Cluj-Napoca (Romania).MethodsData was collected from participants at all levels of the implementation structure including at local and management levels. The study draws on qualitative implementation data to explore participant experiences, including one-to-one interviews, written testimonies, meeting minutes, ethnographic researcher reflections and focus groups, including data from 46 participants in total.Results and conclusionWe explore implementation and adaptation across five key themes: (1) acceptability and feasibility; (2) practical and structural barriers and enablers; (3) adoption and sustainability; (4) broader contextual factors affecting implementation and sustainability; and (5) project structure and processes. Taken together, the themes demonstrate that arts interventions need to be adapted in culturally sensitive ways by stakeholders who have local knowledge of their environments. This research serves as an informative foundation for use by other researchers that aim to expand the reach and impact of arts-based interventions

Applications of Ionic Liquids in Carboxylic Acids Separation

Ionic liquids (ILs) are considered a green viable organic solvent substitute for use in the extraction and purification of biosynthetic products (derived from biomass—solid/liquid extraction, or obtained through fermentation—liquid/liquid extraction). In this review, we analyzed the ionic liquids (greener alternative for volatile organic media in chemical separation processes) as solvents for extraction (physical and reactive) and pertraction (extraction and transport through liquid membranes) in the downstream part of organic acids production, focusing on current advances and future trends of ILs in the fields of promoting environmentally friendly products separation

Polysaccharides as Support for Microbial Biomass-Based Adsorbents with Applications in Removal of Heavy Metals and Dyes

The use of biosorbents for the decontamination of industrial effluent (e.g., wastewater treatment) by retaining non-biodegradable pollutants (antibiotics, dyes, and heavy metals) has been investigated in order to develop inexpensive and effective techniques. The exacerbated water pollution crisis is a huge threat to the global economy, especially in association with the rapid development of industry; thus, the sustainable reuse of different treated water resources has become a worldwide necessity. This review investigates the use of different natural (living and non-living) microbial biomass types containing polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids (natural polymers) as biosorbents in free and immobilized forms. Microbial biomass immobilization performed by using polymeric support (i.e., polysaccharides) would ensure the production of efficient biosorbents, with good mechanical resistance and easy separation ability, utilized in different effluents’ depollution. Biomass-based biosorbents, due to their outstanding biosorption abilities and good efficiency for effluent treatment (concentrated or diluted solutions of residuals/contaminants), need to be used in industrial environmental applications, to improve environmental sustainability of the economic activities. This review presents the most recent advances related the main polymers such as polysaccharides and microbial cells used for biosorbents production; a detailed analysis of the biosorption capability of algal, bacterial and fungal biomass; as well as a series of specific applications for retaining metal ions and organic dyes. Even if biosorption offers many advantages, the complexity of operation increased by the presence of multiple pollutants in real wastewater combined with insufficient knowledge on desorption and regeneration capacity of biosorbents (mostly used in laboratory scale) requires more large-scale biosorption experiments in order to adequately choose a type of biomass but also a polymeric support for an efficient treatment process

<i>Saccharomyces pastorianus</i> Residual Biomass Immobilized in a Polymer Matrix as a Biosorbent for Reactive Dye Removal: Investigations in a Dynamic System

The use of residual microbial biomass from various industries in emerging pollutant removal strategies represents a new area of research in the field. In this case, we examined how to remove reactive dyes from an aqueous solution utilizing a biosorbent made of residual biomass from immobilized Saccharomyces pastorianus (S. pastorianus) in a polymer matrix using a dynamic system. Fluidized bed column biosorption investigations were carried out on a laboratory scale. Brilliant Red HE-3B was chosen as the target molecule. The main parameters considered for this purpose were the flow rate (4.0 mL/min; 6.1 mL/min), initial pollutant concentration (51.2 mg/L; 77.84 mg/L), and biosorbent mass (16 g; 20 g). The experimental data of the fluidized bed study were evaluated by mathematical modeling. The Yoon–Nelson, Bohart–Adams, Clark, and Yan models were investigated for an appropriate correlation with the experimental data. An acceptable fit was obtained for a flow rate of 4 mL/min, an initial pollutant concentration of 51.2 mg/L, and a biosorbent amount of 20 g. The obtained results indicate that the biosorbent can be used efficiently in a dynamic system both for the removal of the studied dye and in extended operations with a continuous flow of wastewater. As a conclusion, the investigated biocomposite material can be considered a viable biosorbent for testing in the removal of reactive dyes from aqueous environments and creates the necessary conditions for the extension of studies toward the application of these types of biosorbents in the treatment of industrial effluents loaded with organic dyes

Improved Production of α-Amylase by <i>Aspergillus terreus</i> in Presence of Oxygen-Vector

n-Dodecane has been investigated as an oxygen-vector for improving α-amylase biosynthesis using the strain Aspergillus terreus. In aerobic microbial cultivation, continuous supply of oxygen is required especially due to its low solubility in the growth medium, in particular at high viscosity, but the limitations of oxygen mass transfer in these systems can be overcome by the addition of water-insoluble compounds which possess a strong affinity for oxygen, namely oxygen-vectors. The use of n-dodecane (as an oxygen-vector) in the fermentation medium of A. terreus can significantly improve the bioprocess performance and enhance α-amylase production. Using 5% n-dodecane at 35 °C, an increase of 1.8–2 times in the enzymatic activity was recorded. In the oxygen-vector’s absence, the highest amount of biomass was obtained at 35 °C, while in the presence of 5% vol. n-dodecane, the amount of fungal biomass increased by approximately 70%, with a shift in optimum temperature to 40 °C, generating also an enzymatic activity increase of 2.30 times. Moreover, the oxygen-vector’s addition in the fermentation broth influenced the fungal morphological development in the form of larger pellets with a more compact structure compared to the system without n-dodecane, with a positive effect on the fermentation performance (higher α-amylase activity production)

Folic Acid Ionic-Liquids-Based Separation: Extraction and Modelling

Folic acid (vitamin B9) is an essential micronutrient for human health. It can be obtained using different biological pathways as a competitive option for chemical synthesis, but the price of its separation is the key obstacle preventing the implementation of biological methods on a broad scale. Published studies have confirmed that ionic liquids can be used to separate organic compounds. In this article, we investigated folic acid separation by analyzing 5 ionic liquids (CYPHOS IL103, CYPHOS IL104, [HMIM][PF6], [BMIM][PF6], [OMIM][PF6]) and 3 organic solvents (heptane, chloroform, and octanol) as the extraction medium. The best obtained results indicated that ionic liquids are potentially valuable for the recovery of vitamin B9 from diluted aqueous solutions as fermentation broths; the efficiency of the process reached 99.56% for 120 g/L CYPHOS IL103 dissolved in heptane and pH 4 of the aqueous folic acid solution. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) were combined with Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) for modelling the process, considering its characteristics

Soluble vitamins (vitamin B12 and vitamin C) microencapsulated with different biopolymers by a spray drying process

Vitamins are important micronutritional compounds which are involved in many biochemical functions in the human body but are not synthesized by it; so, they have to be supplied through diet. However, vitamins are very sensitive which provoke a significant loss during the food processes and storage. So, microencapsulation can be used to minimize the loss of vitamins, to minimize the factors that interfere with their stability, to allow a controlled release process and to mask its undesirable taste, increasing their applicability In the present work, the microencapsulation of two vitamins, by a spray-drying process, was studied: vitamin B12, considering that is the most chemically complex and the largest of all the vitamins and vitamin C which is the most popular vitamin in the food industry The microparticles were prepared using a spray-dryer BUCHI B-290 (Flawil, Switzerland) with a standard 0.5 mm nozzle, under the following conditions: solution and air flow rates, air pressure and inlet temperature were set at 4 ml/min (15%); 32 m(3)/h (80%), 6.0 bar and 120 degrees C, respectively. The prepared microparticles were characterized and their physicochemical structures were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The presence of vitamins in the microparticles was also evaluated by UV-method, validated and optimized for this objective. The evaluation of the vitamin B12 was based on absorbance values read at 361.4 nm, and for the vitamin C the absorbance was read at 260.6 nm A product yield ranging from 41.8 to 55.6% for the microparticles prepared with vitamin B12 and ranging from 43.6 to 45.4% for the microparticles formed with vitamin C was obtained and microparticles with a mean diameter around 3 mu m were observed, for all the biopolymers tested (chitosan, modified chitosan and sodium alginate). The microparticles formed with chitosan presented a very rough surface; on the other hand, the particles formed with sodium alginate or modified chitosan presented a very smooth surface. The performed tests yield significant results and prove the success of the vitamins microencapsulation This work shows that it is possible to encapsulate vitamins using different biopolymers, through a spray-drying proces