In Vitro Screening of α-Amylase Inhibition by Selected Terpenes from Essential Oils

Purpose: To assess some terpenes from herbal products for possible inhibitory effects on serum α- amylase in order to ascertain their potential usefulness in the prevention and/or treatment of diabetes Type 2.Methods: Solutions of terpenes (citral, eukalyptol, β-pinene, myrcene, eugenol and terpineol) in deonized water were prepared by ultrasonic and manual mixing in four different concentrations ranging from 0.39 – 5.50 µmol cm-3. Commercial sera (with normal-N and high-H enzyme activity) were used as a source of α-amylase. α-Amylase activity was determined by standard methods using an automated analyzer.Results: All the selected terpenes at their maximal concentrations inhibited α-amylase in N-sera in the range 9.68 – 38.70 and 10.71 - 25.00 % for ultrasonic and manual mixing, respectively, while in H-sera, inhibition was in the range 17.10 - 21.05 and 13.58 – 25.92 % for ultrasonic and manual mixing, respectively. Regardless of the concentration of the inhibitor or the method of mixing, citral was the strongest inhibitor of α-amylase.Conclusion: The selected terpenes, in their appropriate concentrations, influence α-amylase activity to varying degrees. Principal component and agglomerative hierarchical analysis reveal that the most significant factor in α-amylase inhibition is the mode of mixing the samples, rather than their concentrations.Keywords: α-Amylase, β-Pinene, Citral, Diabetes, Essential oil, Eugenol, Eukalyptol, Myrcene, Terpenes, Terpineo

Antioxidant Capacities and Phenolic Levels of Different Varieties of Serbian White Wines

The biologically active compounds in wine, especially phenolics, are responsible for reduced risk of developing chronic diseases (cardiovascular disrease, cancer, diabetes, etc.), due to their antioxidant activities. We determined the contents of total phenolics (TP) and total flavonoids (TF) in selected Serbian white wines by colorimetric methods. Total antioxidant activity (TAA) of the white wines was analyzed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity assay. Međaš beli had the highest content of TP, TF and TAA. The radical scavenging capacity (RSC) and total antioxidant activity (TAA) of white wines were 15.30% and 1.055 mM Trolox equivalent, respectively. Total phenolic (TP) and total flavonoid (TF) contents in white wines ranged from 238.3 to 420.6 mg gallic acid equivalent per L of wines and 42.64 to 81.32 mg catechin equivalent per L of wines, respectively. A high and significant correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolic content was determined in wines (R2 = 0.968, p < 0.01). For the individual polyphenols determination we used a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-diode array detection (DAD) technique. The majority of white wine polyphenols was represent by four hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs)

Perspectives on Resource Recovery from Bio-Based Production Processes: From Concept to Implementation

Recovering valuable compounds from waste streams of bio-based production processes is in line with the circular economy paradigm, and is achievable by implementing “simple-to-use” and well-established process separation technologies. Such solutions are acceptable from industrial, economic and environmental points of view, implying relatively easy future implementation on pilot- and full-scale levels in the bio-based industry. Reviewing such technologies is therefore the focus here. Considerations about technology readiness level (TRL) and Net Present Value (NPV) are included in the review, since TRL and NPV contribute significantly to the techno-economic evaluation of future and promising process solutions. Based on the present review, a qualitative guideline for resource recovery from bio-based production processes is proposed. Finally, future approaches and perspectives toward identification and implementation of suitable resource recovery units for bio-based production processes are discussed

Removal of benzaldehyde from a water/ethanol mixture by applying scavenging techniques

Abstract A presence of carbonyl compounds is very common in the food industry. The nature of such compounds is to be reactive and thus many products involve aldehydes/ketones in their synthetic routes. By contrast, the high reactivity of carbonyl compounds could also lead to formation of undesired compounds, such as genotoxic impurities. It can therefore be important to remove carbonyl compounds by implementing suitable removal techniques, with the aim of protecting final product quality. This work is focused on benzaldehyde as a model component, studying its removal from a water/ethanol mixture by applying different derivatization agents as the scavengers. Discovery chemistry is performed in the beginning as a screening procedure, followed by the process design of a small-scale continuous process for benzaldehyde removal with in-line real-time monitoring. Applications of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS) are found to provide above average removal of benzaldehyde.</jats:p

Polyphenol Content and Antioxidant Activity of Sour Cherries From Serbia

The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of phenolics: the total phenols (TP), flavonoids (TF), anthocyanins (TA), as well as the total antioxidant\ud capacity (TAC) in three sour cherry cultivars (Prunus cerasus L.) introduced to the southeast Serbia climate conditions. Among the investigated sour cherries,\ud „Oblačinska“ cultivar contained the highest amounts of all groups of phenolics, followed by „Cigančica“ > „Marela“. A significant difference were observed in the phenolic content among different cultivars and growing seasons (p  0.05), and the phenolic compounds were significantly higher in the growing season 2009. The examined cultivars possess a high antioxidant capacity, and all phenolics of highy correlation with TAC. The following compounds were identified and quantified using HPLC-DAD: 4 anthocyanins, the most abundant of which was cyanidin-3-glucoside in “Marela” and “Oblačinska”, and cyanidin-3-glucosylrutinoside in „Cigančica“, and 4 hydroxycinnamic acids, the most abundant of which was neochlorogenic acid in all sour cherry cultivars. The growing and ripening process on the tree of sour cherry cv. „Oblačinska“ was evaluated also. The results showed significant increases in total phenols during the ripening, the total anthocyanins and total antioxidant capacity and 4 quantified anthocyanins, however the neochlorogenic acid decreased during the ripening. The study indicated that the growing and climate conditions in southeast Serbia are convenient for introducing sour cherry cultivars.\u

Fractal Nature Complex Correction an Inductivity

The microstructures properties predicting are based on their materials characteristics. In ceramic materials, regarding higher miniaturization and integrations, the structure analysis is very important. The main contribution of this research is related to relation between perovscites ceramics electronic properties, especially BaTiO3 and NZT-ceramics and structural characteristics. We applied advanced analysis, based on fractal nature and introduced complex fractal correction in defining the very important electromagnetic parameter inductivity (L). The samples consolidation includes both, powder pressing (cold sintering) and hot sintering. The fractal characterization performs very important role from powders up to the final structures, through which exists structure influence on electro-physical and other ceramic properties. We report the experimental results of BaTiO3 and NZT-ceramics processing. Also, this is the first time that we apply complex fractal correction (influence of grains and pore surface and as well as particles Brownian motion) on fundamental thermodynamic temperature in Currie-Weiss law. This application includes the influence of Housdorff dimension (DH) from the microstructure images and connect fractal corrections in Currie-Weiss law, for relative dielectric constant ϵr and magnetic permeability μr. Through ϵr and μr, on this way, for the first time in this scientific area, we present direct relation to inductivity. This complex relation opens quit new advance understanding in structures and parameters in area of ferroelectic-magnetic applications in telecommunications, by introducing the fractals.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Screening of conditions controlling spectrophotometric sequential injection analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite its potential benefits over univariate, chemometrics is rarely utilized for optimizing sequential injection analysis (SIA) methods. Specifically, in previous vis-spectrophotometric SIA methods, chemometrically optimized conditions were confined within flow rate and reagent concentrations while other conditions were ignored.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The current manuscript reports, for the first time, a comprehensive screening of conditions controlling vis-spectrophotometric SIA. A new diclofenac assay method was adopted. The method was based on oxidizing diclofenac by permanganate (a major reagent) with sulfuric acid (a minor reagent). The reaction produced a spectrophotometrically detectable diclofenac form. The 2⁶full-factorial design was utilized to study the effect of volumes of reagents and sample, in addition to flow rate and concentrations of reagents. The main effects and all interaction order effects on method performance, i.e. namely sensitivity, rapidity and reagent consumption, were determined. The method was validated and applied to pharmaceutical formulations (tablets, injection and gel).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Despite 64 experiments those conducted in the current study were cumbersome, the results obtained would reduce effort and time when developing similar SIA methods in the future. It is recommended to critically optimize effective and interacting conditions using other such optimization tools as fractional-factorial design, response surface and simplex, rather than full-factorial design that used at an initial optimization stage. In vis-spectrophotometric SIA methods those involve developing reactions with two reagents (major and minor), conditions affecting method performance are in the following order: sample volume > flow rate ≈ major reagent concentration >> major reagent volume ≈ minor reagent concentration >> minor reagent volume.</p

Metals and kidney markers in adult offspring of endemic nephropathy patients and controls: a two-year follow-up study

Abstract Background The etiology of Balkan Endemic Nephropathy, (BEN), a tubulointerstitial kidney disease, is unknown. Although this disease is endemic in rural areas of Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, and Serbia, similar manifestations are reported to occur in other regions, for instance Tunisia and Sri Lanka. A number of explanations have been stated including lignites, aristolochic acid, ochratoxin A, metals, and metalloids. Etiologic claims are often based on one or a few studies without sound scientific evidence. In this systematic study, we tested whether exposures to metals (cadmium and lead) and metalloids (arsenic and selenium) are related to Balkan Endemic Nephropathy. Methods In 2003/04 we recruited 102 adults whose parents had BEN and who resided in one of three communities (Vratza, Bistretz, or Beli Izvor, Bulgaria). A control group comprised of 99 adults having non-BEN hospitalized parents was enrolled in the study during the same time. We conducted face-to-face interviews, ultrasound kidney measurements, and determined kidney function in two consecutive investigations (2003/04 and 2004/05). Metals and metalloids were measured in urine and blood samples. To assess the agreement between these consecutive measurements, we calculated intraclass correlation coefficients. Repeated measurement data were analyzed using mixed models. Results We found that cadmium and arsenic were associated with neither kidney size nor function. Lead had a significant but negligible effect on creatinine clearance. Selenium showed a weak but significant negative association with two of the four kidney parameters, namely creatinine clearance and β2-microglobulin. It was positively related to kidney length. These associations were not restricted to the offspring of BEN patients. Adding credence to these findings are reports showing comparable kidney effects in animals exposed to selenium. Conclusion The findings of this 2-year follow-up study indicate that metals and metalloids do not play a role in the etiology of Balkan Endemic Nephropathy. Against the assumption in the literature, selenium was not protective but a risk factor. Since comparable associations were observed in animals, future studies are needed to explore whether selenium may have adverse renal effects in humans.</p