Optimization Processing Parameters for Curcuma xanthorriza Oleoresin Yield and its Antioxidant Activity

Processing is a critical aspect of herbal based products, and processing method is known to affect the content, activity and bioavailability of bioactive compounds. Extraction of oleoresin from Curcuma xanthorriza is effected by several processing parameters. Appropriate solvent selection such as polar solvent result in better extraction yield while lower polarity solvent end up with extracts having higher concentration of active compounds. In this study, different processing parameters were carried out including blanching treatment (boiled, steamed) at range of time (24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours), solvent of extraction (methanol, ethanol and acetone). The curcuminoid content and antioxidant activity were determined in Curcuma xanthorriza oleoresin. The result obtained was proved that ethanol was the most effective solvent. Blanching treatment affects the yield of oleoresin and promotes the release of curcuminoids conten

The impact of upstream and downstream processing on the quality of oil bodies of partially de-hulled sunflower seeds

Few publications on oil bodies or oleosomes seem concerned about their quality (chemical and physical) ex-vivo. This work attempts to identify the main factors (processing and pre-processing) that affect the quality/integrity of sunflower seed oil bodies recovered through a wet-milling process. The physical state of seeds during wet milling had a significant impact on the quality of the oil body suspension. Pre-soaking for 6 hours before wet milling and multiple washing with alkaline buffer (0.1M sodium bicarbonate) was performed to isolate high quality oil body suspensions. It was evident from different physical measurements such as particle size, ζ-potential and light microscopy that pre-soaking had a positive influence on the quality of oil body suspensions with no significant signs of aggregation or coalescence. It was also observed that the resultant washed oil body suspensions were highly surface charged (-28.4 ± 1.2 mV) indicating very stable suspension phase behavior. Washing oil bodies not only removes non-integral, extraneous proteins (derived from the seed matrix) but enriches the lipid content including Tocopherol (α-tocopherol: 491.6 mg/kg of washed oil bodies compared with 252.6 mg/kg crude oil bodies). Changes in the composition of oil bodies after washing have been observed before, but this research also monitored the size of oil bodies after washing, and our results indicate that certain factors can shift the distribution of droplet size. It is believed that any change in average size of droplets indicate the presence of disrupted oil bodies whose surface chemistry has changed enough to compromise their integrity on washing. The retention of droplet size on washing may, therefore, be diagnostic for the recovery of intact oil bodies. An assessment of the integrity of oil bodies recovered from sunflower seeds after accelerated aging (5 months) was carried out. Free fatty acid was more pronounced in oil rather than oil bodies, this could be due to the elimination of some of the free acid bound to oil body during washing. Although some minor variation was observed during seed aging, however, the oil bodies remained stable in the final suspension. The results indicate that oil body membrane was extremely robust under extreme conditions and the integrity of oil bodies was preserved. In addition, oil bodies obtained in this study were resistant to oxidation due to the presence of naturally occurring antioxidants (including vitamin E) associated with them.. The results indicate that the physical barrier of surface membrane protein (oelosin) protect oil bodies against pro-oxidants

Health Behavior Constructs Scale (HBCS) for Breast Cancer Screening: Development, Validity and Reliability

Introduction: Given the importance of screening as one of the health behaviors in breast cancer, the aim of this research is to develop and evaluate the psychometric characteristics of Health Behavior Constructs Scale (HBCS) for breast cancer screening.Methods: In this cross sectional study, 376 women who referred to Javaheri Health Center during the study period due to health problems, were selected through convenience sampling method. Then, the instrument was developed and its content and face validities were examined. To ensure divergent and convergent validity, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used. Internal consistency method (Cronbach's alpha) was used to determine the reliability of the questionnaire. Finally, confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the construct validity of the Health Behavior Constructs Scale and SPSS and LISREL software were applied for analyzing data.Results: The findings of this study provided strong supports, which confirmed the content and face validities. Regarding the convergent and divergent validity, perceived vulnerability, perceived severity and deterioration, and perceived barriers have a direct and significant relationship with the three variables of depression, anxiety, and stress. On the other hand, perceived self-efficacy and perceived motivation had a significant inverse correlation with all three variables of depression, anxiety, and stress. The results of the Cronbach's alpha indicated the appropriate internal consistency of the whole questionnaire and its components. Cronbach's alpha for the whole questionnaire was 0.75. According to confirmatory factor analysis, the goodness of fit indicators of proposed model were confirmed and all paths were significant.Conclusion: HBCS is a reliable and valid tool for measuring the screening behavior of breast cancer in Iranian women and it appears to be a comprehensive and useful instrument for assessing women's beliefs related to breast cancer and breast cancer screening

Development of a Computerized Task for Measuring Time Perception

Background: Time perception is considered as an important subject in cognitive psychology, which is essential for our understanding regarding brain mechanisms underlying human cognition and disabilities. Deficits in time perception have been found in people with both attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. The present study aimed at developing and evaluating the Time Perception Software with a sample including 152 Iranian students. Methods: The computerized time perception task was designed based on time estimation, reproduction, production and time comparison method. In order to verify the reliability of the task, 30 students which were participated in the test sample repeated the test after one month. The content and construct validity were used in order to examine the validity of the task. The construct validity of the time perception task was verified by analyzing the confirmatory factor analysis using the Amos 24 software. Results: In the modified model, the comparison factor was eliminated (CFI=0.965). The highest correlation was observed in the time estimation of 11 seconds with a correlation coefficient which was equal to 0.935 (P=0.001), while the lowest correlation coefficient was observed in the time production of 17 seconds with the correlation coefficient which was equal to 0.679 (P=0.001). The internal consistency of the task indicated that the time perception task had a near-optimal validity and its reliability was at the optimal level with the Cronbach’s alpha which was equal to 0.67. Conclusion: In order to conclude, The Time Perception Software appeared to be reliable and valid for assessing and measuring time perception in the Iranian students. This software can be used in future research investigations

Influence of pecan nut pretreatment on the physical quality of oil bodies

A supply of pure, intact oil bodies is essential for carrying out morphological and biochemical studies of these plant organelles, and exploring their application. Preparation requires a carefully controlled breakage of plant cells, followed by separation of the oil bodies from cytoplasm and cell debris. This paper focuses on the recovery and characterisation of oil bodies from pecan nuts where no work has been published to date. The results showed that soaking softens the nut tissue, and appears to reduce the damage to oil bodies during grinding and centrifugal force must be carefully selected to minimise oil bodies damage on recovery. A 24h soaking time coupled with a 5500 RCF recovery force allows for the recovery of intact pecan nut oil bodies

Psychometric Properties of the Persian Internet Addiction Test-Social Networking Sites Version: Dimensionality Assessment of Social Networking Site Addiction

Background: By evaluating the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Internet Addiction Test-Social Networking Sites version (IAT-SNS) in a sample of Iranian university students, this study investigated the dimensionality of SNS addiction for the first time. Methods: A total of 620 SNS users (414 women) participated in the study. The study questionnaire comprised demographic information, SNS usage patterns, the IAT-SNS, and the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS). Findings: Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified the 3-factor structure of the IAT-SNS, namely ‘Lack of Control’, ‘Emotional and Relational Conflict’, and ‘Preference for online relationships’ that explained 54% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) verified the current model. Problematic users on average exhibited higher scores on the whole IAT-SNS and each of the 3 factors as compared to non-problematic users. The IAT-SNS and its factors showed good internal consistency, and strong convergent and concurrent validity. Conclusion: The Persian version of the IAT–SNS is valid and reliable, and is applicable for measuring the 3 dimensions of SNS addiction among students

The main physical components of body image from the perspectives of Iranian adolescents: a qualitative study

Background Although different aspects of body image have been extensively studied in Western societies, there is little evidence regarding the main physical components that contribute to perceptions of body image from the perspective of adolescents, especially in Eastern-Mediterranean regions. This study aims to investigate main physical components of body image from the perspectives of Iranian boys and girls. Methods This qualitative study has been conducted using a grounded theory approach. The focus of the current study was on identifying the main physical characteristics of body image as perceived by participants. A total of 13 semi-structured focus group discussions were conducted with 84 adolescents (42 girls and 42 boys), aged 15–18 years. All focus group discussions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data collection continued until saturation was reached. Results The mean age and BMI of participants were 16.2±0.9 years and 24.3±8.0 kg/m2 respectively. Regarding main physical components of body image, three main themes emerged from the data: 1) perceived face/hair, which included three subthemes-facial features, facial shape/form and hair, 2) perceived body, which included three subthemes-body size, body shape and bone structure and 3) perceived physical functioning which included three subthemes-physical ability, physical health and voice tone. Among mentioned themes, perceived body was the concept which was most frequently addressed by both adolescent boys and girls. Additionally, in terms of the other remaining two themes, when adolescents were talking about their bodies, girls more frequently mentioned their faces and its features, while boys tended to talk more about their physical functioning. Conclusion This qualitative study provide further insight into the physical components of body image as perceived by Iranian boys and girls. Current findings indicated that besides those features that focused on body appearance and its aesthetic aspects, physical functioning was another main component of perceived body image by participants. These findings can contribute to the design and implementation of effective interventions aiming at improving body image and its related disorders in Iranian adolescents

A review of genetic taxonomy, biomolecules chemistry and bioactivities of Citrus hystrix DC

Citrus hystrix DC. with common name makrut lime or kafir lemon, is a very popular traditional medicinal plant as well as an important spice in Asiatic countries. The plant is native of the Indonesian island Sumbawa, then, it is cultivated in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the tropical region of Asia. It mainly contains essential oil and phenolic compounds. The most intense odor compounds of kafir lemon are Citronellal, L-Linalool, 1,8-Cineole , á-Terpeneol and ä-Cadinene. Such as Citrusosides-A and furanocoumarines, Makrut lime content also non-volatile compounds like alkaloids and glyceroglycolipids. Citrus hystrix DC has many biological activities due to its volatile and nonvolatile compounds, and it has been used in traditional medicine for treating various illnesses, particularly cold pain and stomach disorder. It is also used as a juice for its fruit or as spice for its aromatic leaves. This review covers data on the chemistry and biological effects of Citrus hystrix DC biomolecules, and aims to lay the foundation for further study on the extraction enhancement of these biomolecules and more useful formulations

Anticancer Molecules from Catharanthus roseus

Catharanthus roseus is an important medicinal plant found in various parts of the world and the bioactive compound has been extracted and used as anti-cancer agent to treat the cancer over decades. However, the extraction of bioactive compound also results in the generation of large quantities of pollution with wasted solvents. Toxic pollution occurs when synthetic chemicals are discharged or natural chemicals accumulate to toxic levels in the environment, causing reductions in wildlife numbers, degrading ecosystem functions and threatening human health. This review covers the extraction and phytochemical obtained leading to chemical compounds related to anti-cancer property of C. roseus. Additionally, recent advances of using biological cell cultures were also addressed. Thus, this work can be used for further investigation of C. roseus to be undertaken in future for its anti-cancer property further development and efficient production in drug industr

Inspection of crude oil condition using electronic nose (E-nose)

Oil and gas production and distribution processes technologies are highly complex and capital-intensive. Crude oil is a high demand commodity in Malaysia and across the world. Physical and chemical properties are used to classify crude oil in oil and gas industries. The human's nose cannot distinguish the difference of smell among various crude oils grade. Conventional approaches to detect odour are expensive and difficult to operate. Due to declining production and increasing demand, using E-nose technologies to inspect the odour condition of crude oil might be a significant change in the industries. The Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) classification method also is utilised in this project to classify crude oil conditions. As a result, all crude oil samples have their odour profile pattern extracted through the normalisation of data. The performance accuracy of the CBR classifier achieved a high rate, which is 99.31% on average. Hence, the using of E-nose and utilising CBR are excellent methods in investigating odour