Combined clean hydrogen production and bio-active compounds recovery from spent coffee grounds. A multi-perspective analysis

This study deals with the process simulation of an integrated system for energy production and valuable compounds recovery from spent coffee ground biomass and plasmix (non-recyclable plastic waste). The devised process consists of three maine units: a sub-critical water extraction column for the recovery of bio-compounds, an oxy-combustor of residual biomass and plasmix streams coupled with a production power energy unit, and a solid oxide electrolyzer (SOEC) for the production of pure H2 and O2. The process was exhaustively analyzed from an energy, exergy, environmental and economic point of view. The results of the analysis provided energy and exergy efficiencies higher than 60%, and the environmental analysis (CO2-cycle analysis) demonstrated a significant advantage of the process with respect to other hydrogen production methods. Finally, the feasibility of a plant with no net Greenhouse Gas emissions was shown to markedly depend on the costs associated to renewable energy sources

Monitoring of drinking water quality at Ferrara city: study of metabolic perturbation in Cyprinus Carpio

MONITORING OF DRINKING WATER QUALITY AT FERRARA CITY: STUDY OF METABOLIC PERTURBATION IN CYPRINUS CARPIO: Fabio Vivarelli, Donatella Canistro, Andrea Sapone, Moreno Paolini. In the global pollution scenario, a latent, and therefore insidious danger is the presence of toxic chemicals in drinking water, derived, paradoxically, from the disinfection process which is compulsory to protect public health from diseases. In most countries, the surface water is disinfected by chloro-derivatives which react with the dissolved organic matter (humic and fulvic acids), giving rise to the formation of carcinogenic organo-chlorinated by-products. Many of them, however, such as dichloroacetic acid and chloroform are not mutagens and act through epigenetic mechanisms. It is not to be underestimated the risk of gastrointestinal and urogenital tumors related to chronic exposure to these compounds, emerged from epidemiological investigations. This study is aimed to evaluate the possible effects on xenobiotic metabolism of fish (Cyprinus carpio) exposed to Ferrara city drinking water. It is known that the up-regulation of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) superfamily is associated with non-genotoxic (epigenetic) outcomes such as co-carcinogenesis (increasing bioactivation) and promotion (overgeneration of reactive free radicals). C. carpio, widely distributed in rivers and lakes, was recently considered an effective biomarker recommended by the EU to assess the toxic effects of chemicals in the aquatic environment. Animals were treated daily (3 or 6 consecutive days) intraperitoneally with concentrated drinking water collected from the distribution networks of the city, at 3L/eq dosage. The evaluation of metabolic perturbation has been performed in the hepatopancreas subcellular preparation. Four sampling points were selected: F-raw river water, A-water after treatment, R1 and R2-water from two points chosen along the network. After 3 day treatment, a marked and significant (p<0.01) increase in the hydroxylation of p-nitrophenol (p-NFI, up to 330%), O-deethylation of ethoxyresorufin (EROD, up to 400%), at R2 point, as well as O-demethylation of methoxyresorufin (MROD, up to 440%) at the network point A, were recorded. After 6 day administrations, several inactivations were found; in particular, MROD was down-regulated at the network point A up to 68%, p <0.01. Significant increases were also observed at R1 and R2 points for p-NFI and O-dealkylation of pentoxyresorufin (PROD), up to 120 and 200%, respectively, p<0.01. Using the testosterone as multibioprobe, being hydroxylated in a stereo- and regio-selective way by different CYPs, decreases for almost all the considered monooxygenases were seen after 3 day exposure at R1 point. At point network R2, up-regulations for all monooxygenases (up to 90% for 6β-OHT, p <0.01), were observed. Finally, after 6 days of exposure, a general drop for all monooxygenases was seen at F point; on the contrary, significant (p <0.01) increases for 16α- and 2β-OHT at the network point A (up to 200 and 215 %, respectively) and point R2 (380 and 116%, respectively) were registered. These data indicate that complex chemical mixtures may simultaneously determine inductive and/or inactivating effects to different CYPs. If reproduced in humans-after lower dose administration and longer exposure period-such effects can alter endogenous metabolism (e.g., biosynthesis of bile acids, corticosteroids, fatty acids) and cellular function (e.g., cellular homeostasis, differentiation, apoptosis, neuroendocrine functions) where these catalysts are physiologically involved. Furthermore, the epigenetic implications could explain the increased tumor stated by observational studies. Our results can contribute to the definition of experimental approaches to supplement the control measures already provided for water intended for human consumption, and as a possible criterion for assessing the quality of water

High-dose vitamin A.

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Harmful effects behind the daily supplementation of a fixed vegetarian blend in the rat model

Fruit and vegetables (FV) have long been considered a panacea against major chronic diseases, including cancer. However, there is no convincing epidemiological, clinical or experimental evidence supporting FV chemopreventive ability. A daily mono-supplementation of lyophilized onion, tomato, peach, black grape or lettuce was compared with the daily combined administration of the same FV (5 a day-like diet). Ten days post-treatment, the phase-I/II xenobiotic metabolizing and antioxidant enzyme activities, protein and mRNA levels were investigated. As a marker of oxidative stress, the level of hydroperoxides was measured in rat serum samples. Here we show that a blend of FV orally administered to rats not only potentially manipulates metabolism but also disrupts systemic oxidative homeostasis. A daily combination of the five servings remarkably down-regulates the catalytic activity, protein and mRNA levels of a cohort of hepatic metabolizing enzymes, suggesting a possible depressed clearance upon exposure to ubiquitous carcinogens. Strikingly, we observed an impairment of antioxidant enzymes with a boost in systemic hydroperoxide levels. Our study identifies new potential factors of cancer risk connected with the persistent consumption of fixed servings of FV, suggesting that dietary guidance should rely on a \u201cdaily diversification\u201d of FV

On Enzyme-Based Anticancer Molecular Dietary Manipulations

Evidence from both epidemiological and experimental observations has fuelled the belief that the high consumption of fruits and vegetables rich in nutrients and phytochemicals may help prevent cancer and heart disease in humans. This concept has been drastically simplified from the dietary approaches to the use of single bioactive components both as a single supplement or in functional foods to manipulate xenobiotic metabolism. These procedures, which aim to induce mutagen/carcinogen detoxification or inhibit their bioactivation, fail to take into account the multiple and paradoxical biological outcomes of enzyme modulators that make their effects unpredictable. Here, we show that the idea that the physiological roles of specific catalysts may be easily manipulated by regular long-term administration of isolated nutrients and other chemicals derived from food plants is not viable. In contrast, we claim that the consumption of healthy diets is most likely to reduce mutagenesis and cancer risk, and that both research endeavours and dietary recommendations should be redirected away from single molecules to dietary patterns as a main strategy for public health policy