Phenolic contents and antioxidant activities of leaf extracts from Elaeocarpus submonoceras Miq.

The phenolic contents and antioxidant activities of leaf extracts from Elaeocarpus submonoceras Miq. were determined for two alternative extractions, namely maceration with ethanol and successive extraction by Soxhlet, with various solvents. Ethanol extract showed the highest phenolic content and strong antioxidant activities against DPPH and ABTS, followed in rank order by methanol and ethyl acetate extracts. The ethyl acetate extract showed no cytotoxic effect towards HaCaT, a human skin non-carcinoma cell. Based on thin layer chromatography, cytotoxic and antioxidant activities, ethyl acetate extract was chosen for isolation. The structure of an isolated compound was identified as gallic acid from 1H-NMR. This study provides the first scientific information regarding the phenolic content and antioxidant activities of E. submonoceras Miq

Effect of Surfactant Concentrations on Physicochemical Properties and Functionality of Curcumin Nanoemulsions Under Conditions Relevant to Commercial Utilization

Surfactants are used to stabilize nanoemulsions by protecting their physical stability and preventing deterioration of the entrapped bioactive during processing and storage. The effect of surfactant concentration on physical-chemical properties of nanoemulsions with entrapped curcumin, relevant to commercial applications, was addressed in this research. Furthermore, the functionality of nanoemulsified curcumin in terms of lipid oxidation inhibition was determined. Protection against varying pH and thermal treatments was more significant in the nanoemulsions at the elevated surfactant level, but at these high concentrations, the surface charges of the emulsions dramatically decreased under sodium salt addition, which may result in instability over time. Nanoemulsions showed the potential to inhibit malondialdehyde (MDA) formulation by protecting the entrapped curcumin and enhance its antioxidant activity when added to milk. The fortified milk with added curcumin systems had a yellow color compared to the control. The results of the study are critical in choosing the surfactant concentration needed to stabilize emulsified curcumin, and to protect the entrapped curcumin under specific conditions of use to support the utilization of curcumin nanoemulsions as a food additive in different commercial products

Effect of Surfactant Concentrations on Physicochemical Properties and Functionality of Curcumin Nanoemulsions Under Conditions Relevant to Commercial Utilization

Surfactants are used to stabilize nanoemulsions by protecting their physical stability and preventing deterioration of the entrapped bioactive during processing and storage. The effect of surfactant concentration on physical-chemical properties of nanoemulsions with entrapped curcumin, relevant to commercial applications, was addressed in this research. Furthermore, the functionality of nanoemulsified curcumin in terms of lipid oxidation inhibition was determined. Protection against varying pH and thermal treatments was more significant in the nanoemulsions at the elevated surfactant level, but at these high concentrations, the surface charges of the emulsions dramatically decreased under sodium salt addition, which may result in instability over time. Nanoemulsions showed the potential to inhibit malondialdehyde (MDA) formulation by protecting the entrapped curcumin and enhance its antioxidant activity when added to milk. The fortified milk with added curcumin systems had a yellow color compared to the control. The results of the study are critical in choosing the surfactant concentration needed to stabilize emulsified curcumin, and to protect the entrapped curcumin under specific conditions of use to support the utilization of curcumin nanoemulsions as a food additive in different commercial products

A Novel Xylan-Polyvinyl Alcohol Hydrogel Bead with Laccase Entrapment for Decolorization of Reactive Black 5

In an attempt to find a more efficient technique for biodegradation of the recalcitrant Reactive Black 5 (RB-5) dye, a composite xylan-polyvinyl alcohol (xylan-PVOH) hydrogel was used to immobilize laccase from the white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor. Xylan was prepared from the black liquor of pulp and paper effluent, and it was esterified with citric acid prior to cross-linking with polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH). The optimum composition for the immobilized laccase bead formation consisted of 4% (w/v) modified xylan, 10% (w/v) PVOH, and 15 U.mL-1 crude laccase. The maximum decolorization of RB-5 (98.45 1.96 %) was obtained within the first cycle (6 h) at 40 °C. In the eighth cycle, the reused beads were able to decolorize 55.35 2.46 % of the RB-5. Moreover, the xylan-PVOH beads extended the optimum pH range of laccase activity from 6 to 10 and tolerated a temperature up to 10 °C higher than that of the free enzyme. These results suggest that the xylan-PVOH bead has great potential as the polymer matrix for enzyme immobilization, which has applications in wastewater treatment

Phenolic content and biological activities of ethanol extracts from medicinal plants in East Kalimantan, Indonesia

The Dayak tribe are the indigenous people of West Kutai, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, and they have experiences in using plants for traditional medicine and the commonly used plants include Baccaurea macrocarpa (Miq.) Müll.Arg., Entada phaseoloides (L.) Merr., Goniothalamus macrophyllus (Blume) Hook.f. & Thomson, Gynura crepidioides Benth., Helicia robusta (Roxb.) R. Br var. robusta, Litsea elliptica, Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth, and Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Aiton) Hassk. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze these plant species for their phenolic content, and antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-tyrosinase, and anticancer activities. The total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity were analyzed using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and the phosphomolybdenum method, respectively. The antioxidant activities were evaluated by DPPH and ABTS assays. The antibacterial activity was determined by agar well diffusion and microdilution methods against six bacterial strains. The anticancer activity of the plant extracts was assayed against MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. Based on the ethanol extraction, the highest yield was obtained from L. elliptica (10.42%), while H. robusta extract contained the highest phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and antioxidant activities. All the extracts exhibited antibacterial activities against all the tested strains of bacteria, with the highest activity found in R. tomentosa extract, which also showed the highest activity against the cancer cells. The ethanol extract from E. phaseoloides exhibited tyrosinase inhibition activity (IC50 = 543.83 ± 51.06 μg/mL). The results herein suggested that the ethanol extracts from some medicinal plants from East Kalimantan have potential as antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer, and anti-tyrosinase agents

Purification and Characterization of a Polyextremophilic α-Amylase from an Obligate Halophilic Aspergillus penicillioides Isolate and Its Potential for Souse with Detergents

An extracellular α-amylase from the obligate halophilic Aspergillus penicillioides TISTR3639 strain was produced and enriched to apparent homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation and Sephadex G100 gel filtration column chromatography. The mass of the purified amylase was estimated to be 42 kDa by SDS-PAGE. With soluble starch as the substrate it had a specific activity of 118.42 U·mg−1 and Vmax⁡ and Km values of 1.05 µmol·min−1·mg−1 and 5.41 mg·mL−1, respectively. The enzyme was found to have certain polyextremophilic characteristics, with an optimum activity at pH 9, 80°C, and 300 g·L−1 NaCl. The addition of CaCl2 at 2 mM was found to slightly enhance the amylase activity, while ZnCl2, FeCl2, or EDTA at 2 mM was strongly or moderately inhibitory, respectively, suggesting the requirement for a (non-Fe2+ or Zn2+) divalent cation. The enzyme retained more than 80% of its activity when incubated with three different laundry detergents and had a better performance compared to a commercial amylase and three detergents in the presence of increasing NaCl concentrations up to 300 g·L−1. Accordingly, it has a good potential for use as an α-amylase in a low water activity (high salt concentration) and at high pH and temperatures

Isolation and Characterization of Schmutzdecke in Slow Sand Filter for Treating Domestic Wastewater

This research aimed to discover the macroscopic, microscopic, and physiological characteristics and the genus of heterotrophic bacteria found in the schmutzdecke or biofilm layer in slow sand filters. The isolation of heterotrophic bacteria in the schmutzdecke applied the pour plate and quadrant streak method, while the characterization used macroscopic, microscopic, and physiological tests. Samples were taken from the schmutzdecke on top of the filter layer, and they were diluted 3, 4, and 5 times, then grown in Nutrient Agar media in order to isolate heterotrophic bacteria. The results of the research were analyzed using the identification manual books titled Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 9th edition and Manual for The Identification of Medical Bacteria, 3rd edition. These manuals show the names of the genus of bacteria in the schmutzdecke layer. On the basis of the identification results from macroscopic, microscopic, and physiological tests, there were 4 dominant genera out of 18 living isolates obtained from the schmutzdecke layer, namely Kurthia gibsonii, Bacillus badius, Bacillus firmus, and Bacillus lentus. The similarity percentage of these 4 isolates was 83%, 81%, 85%, and 77% respectively

Growth, secondary metabolite production, and in vitro antiplasmodial activity of Sonchus arvensis L. callus under dolomite [CaMg(CO3)2] treatment

Malaria is still a global health problem. Plasmodium is a single-cell protozoan parasite that causes malaria and is transmitted to humans through the female Anopheles mosquito. The previous study showed that Sonchus arvensis L. callus has antiplasmodial activity. Several treatments are needed for callus quality improvement for antimalarial compound production. This study aimed to examine the effect of dolomite [CaMg(CO3)2] on growth (morpho-anatomical structure and biomass), secondary metabolite production, and in vitro antiplasmodial activity of S. arvensis L. callus. In this study, leaf explants were grown in Murashige and Skoog medium with a combination of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D, one mg/L) and 6-benzyl amino purine (BAP, 0.5 mg/L) with dolomite (50, 75, 100, 150, and 200 mg/L). The 21 days callus ethanolic and methanolic extract were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The antiplasmodial test was performed on a blood culture infected with Plasmodium falciparum strain 3D7 using the Rieckmann method. The results showed that dolomite significantly affected callus growth, metabolite profile, and in vitro antiplasmodial activity. Dolomite (150 mg/L) showed the highest biomass (0.590 ± 0.136 g fresh weight and 0.074 ± 0.008 g dry weight). GC-MS analysis detected four compounds from callus ethanolic extract. Pelargonic acid, decanoic acid, and hexadecanoic acid were major compounds. One new terpenoid compound is based on TLC analysis. S. arvensis L. callus has antiplasmodial activity with the IC50 value of 5.037 μg/mL. It was three times lower than leaf methanolic extract and five times lower than leaf ethanolic extract

Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Antiplasmodial Activities of Sonchus arvensis L. Leaf Ethyl Acetate Fractions

Infection is one of the health problems and a disease that mainly causes death. Malaria is a parasitic infection that is transmitted through the Anopheles sp. The female then causes infection and besides malaria, other contaminants that caused infection are bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. This study aims to determine the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiplasmodial activity of Sonchus arvensis L. ethyl acetate fractions. In vitro antiplasmodial activity was carried out by Rieckman methods against Plasmodium falciparum strain 3D7. In vitro antioxidant activity was conducted by Prieto method against (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Then antimicrobial activity was performed using well diffusion method against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Maceration of S. arvensis L. dried leaves used n-hexane and ethyl acetate successively. Then the ethyl acetate extract was fractionated by vacuum column chromatography, using n-hexane and ethyl acetate as mobile phases. There are five fraction groups based on thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analysis. The IC50 of antioxidant and antiplasmodial activity showed that fraction IV was the lowest value and categorized as active for antioxidant (IC50=22.56 μg/mL), for antiplasmodial (IC50=12.07 μg/mL). Fraction IV also had antimicrobial activity, with diameter of inhibition zone (DIZ) of 19.22 mm against Escherichia coli and 17.167 mm against Staphylococcus aureus

In vitro and in vivo antiplasmodial activities of leaf extracts from Sonchus arvensis L.

Background Malaria continues to be a global problem due to the limited efficacy of current drugs and the natural products are a potential source for discovering new antimalarial agents. Therefore, the aims of this study were to investigate phytochemical properties, cytotoxic effect, antioxidant, and antiplasmodial activities of Sonchus arvensis L. leaf extracts both in vitro and in vivo. Methods The extracts from S. arvensis L. leaf were prepared by successive maceration with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol, and then subjected to quantitative phytochemical analysis using standard methods. The antimalarial activities of crude extracts were tested in vitro against Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 strain while the Peter's 4-day suppressive test model with P. berghei-infected mice was used to evaluate the in vivo antiplasmodial, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and immunomodulatory activities. The cytotoxic tests were also carried out using human hepatic cell lines in [3(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] (MTT) assay. Result The n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanolic extracts of S. arvensis L. leaf exhibited good in vitro antiplasmodial activity with IC50 values 5.119 ± 3.27, 2.916 ± 2.34, and 8.026 ± 1.23 μg/mL, respectively. Each of the extracts also exhibited high antioxidant with low cytotoxic effects. Furthermore, the ethyl acetate extract showed in vivo antiplasmodial activity with ED50 = 46.31 ± 9.36 mg/kg body weight, as well as hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and immunomodulatory activities in mice infected with P. berghei. Conclusion This study highlights the antiplasmodial activities of S. arvensis L. leaf ethyl acetate extract against P. falciparum and P. berghei as well as the antioxidant, nephroprotective, hepatoprotective, and immunomodulatory activities with low toxicity. These results indicate the potential of Sonchus arvensis L. to be developed into a new antimalarial drug candidate. However, the compounds and transmission-blocking strategies for malaria control of S. arvensis L. extracts are essential for further study