Meat nutritional composition and nutritive role in the human diet

This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Meat Science. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Meat Science, Vol. 93, Issue 3, 2013. DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2012.09.018"Meat has exerted a crucial role in human evolution and is an important component of a healthy and well balanced diet due to its nutritional richness. The present review attempts to sum up meats role and importance in human nutrition as well as examine some pejorative beliefs about meat consumption. Meat is a valuable source of high biological value protein, iron, vitamin B12 as well as other B complex vitamins, zinc, selenium and phosphorus. Fat content and fatty acid profile, a constant matter of concern when referring to meat consumption, is highly dependent on species, feeding system as well as the cut used. Pork meat can have the highest fat content but poultry skin is not far behind. It is also crucial to distinguish meat cuts from other meat products especially regarding its association with disease risk. As in other dietary components, moderation is advisable but meat has been shown to be an important component of a balanced diet.

Evidence for modulation of the rate of intramolecular electron transfer through nitrite binding to the type 2 copper center

Eur. J. Biochem. 271, 2361–2369 (2004)The nitrite reductase (Nir) isolated from Pseudomonas chlororaphis DSM 50135 is a blue enzyme, with type 1 and type 2 copper centers, as in all copper-containing Nirs described so far. For the first time, a direct determination of the reduction potentials of both copper centers in a Cu-Nir was performed: type 2 copper (T2Cu), 172 mV and type 1 copper (T1Cu), 298 mV at pH 7.6. Although the obtained values seem to be inconsistent with the established electrontransfer mechanism, EPR data indicate that the binding of nitrite to the T2Cu center increases its potential, favoring the electron-transfer process. Analysis of the EPR spectrum of the turnover form of the enzyme also suggests that the electron-transfer process between T1Cu and T2Cu is the fastest of the three redox processes involved in the catalysis: (a) reduction of T1Cu; (b) oxidation of T1Cu by T2Cu; and(c) reoxidation of T2Cu by NO2 –. Electrochemical experiments showthat azurin from the same organism can donate electrons to this enzyme

Partition coefficients of β-blockers in bile salt/lecithin micelles as a tool to assess the role of mixed micelles in gastrointestinal absorption

The objective of this study was to develop non-invasive spectroscopic methods to quantify the partition coefficients of two β-blockers, atenolol and nadolol, in aqueous solutions of bile salt micelles and to assess the effect of lecithin on the partition coefficients of amphiphilic drugs in mixed bile salt/lecithin micelles, which were used as a simple model for the naturally occurring mixed micelles in the gastrointestinal tract. The partition coefficients (Kp) at 25.0±0.1°C and at 0.1 M NaCl ionic strength were determined by spectrofluorimetry and by derivative spectrophotometry, by fitting equations that relate molar extinction coefficients and relative fluorescence intensities to the partition constant Kp. Drug partition was controlled by the: (i) drug properties, with the more soluble drug in water (atenolol) exhibiting smaller values of Kp, and with both drugs interacting more extensively in the protonated form; and by (ii) the bile salt monomers, with the dihydroxylic salts producing larger values of Kp for the β-blockers, and with glycine conjugation of the bile acid increasing the values of Kp for the β-blockers. Addition of lecithin to bile salt micelles decreases the values of Kp of the β-blockers. Mixed micelles incorporate hydrophobic compounds due to their large size and the fluidity of their core, but amphiphilic drugs, for which the interactions are predominantly polar/electrostatic, are poorly incorporated in mixed micelles of bile salts/lecithin.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Study of partition of nitrazepam in bile salt micelles and the role of lecithin

The effect of trihydroxy (sodium cholate and sodium glycocholate) and dihydroxy (sodium deoxycholate and sodium glycodeoxycholate) bile salt micelles on the spectrophotometric properties and on the solubility of nitrazepam in aqueous solution, at 25.0°C and at ionic strength 0.1 M in sodium chloride, has been assessed. From the results obtained it was possible to calculate the partition coefficients (Kp) of nitrazepam between aqueous and micellar phases. The partition coefficients of nitrazepam have also been determined in mixed micelles of cholate or deoxycholate with lecithin (egg yolk phosphatidylcholine), which were used as a model of the gastrointestinal tract. Drug partition was found to depend on the bile acid (number of hydroxyl groups and conjugation with glycine), and our data indicate further that addition of lecithin to bile salt micelles decreases the values of the partition coefficients in the mixed micelles at physiological pH.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Noninvasive methods to determine the critical micelle concentration of some bile acid salts

In this work the critical micelle concentrations (cmc) of four bile salts, sodium cholate, sodium glycocholate, sodium deoxycholate, and sodium glycodeoxycholate, are determined and presented. Three independent noninvasive methodologies (potentiometry, derivative spectrophotometry, and light scattering) were used for cmc determination, at 25 degrees C with ionic strength adjusted to 0.10 M with NaCl. Spectrophotometric and potentiometric studies of some bile salts were also executed at various ionic strength values, thus allowing the influence of the ionic strength on the cmc value of the bile salt to be assessed. A critical comparison of the cmc values obtained with data collected from the literature is presented. Furthermore, this work makes an evaluation of the conceptual bases of different methodologies commonly used for cmc determination, since variations in the results obtained can be related mainly to different intrinsic features of the methods used (such as sensitivity or the need to include tracers or probes) or to the operational cmc definition applied. The undoubted definition of the experimental bile salt concentration that corresponds to cmc (operational cmc) is essential since in the case of these amphiphiles the formation of micelles is not as abrupt as in the case of ordinary association colloids. The biphasic nature of their aggregation leads to a "round-shaped" variation of the experimental parameters under analysis, which makes difficult the evaluation of the cmc values and can be responsible for the different results obtained.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Modelagem e simulação computacional da injeção de carvão pulverizado no canal adutor da “raceway” de altos-fornos

The blast furnace is a counter current flow reactor whose main purpose is to produce hot metal. This process uses as auxiliary fuel the injection of pulverized coal through the equipment termed tuyere. Recently, the price of premium coals became prohibitive for using in the blast furnace, especially in Brazil, where this raw material is imported. The analysis was based on a 3D multi phase mathematical model. Three phases are considered in this model, namely, gaseous phase and two solid phases of pulverized coals. It was analyzed a high volatile and low volatile pulverized coal into different configurations of injection lances. The pulverized coal phases are considered separately pursuing velocity fields, temperature and the chemical composition. The chemical kinetics rates were adapted from literature and eventually the rate constants were adjusted for representing the individual reactivity of the pulverized coal. The numerical solutions of the highly non-linear system of differential equations were obtained in a computational code written in Fortran 90/95, based on finite volume method. Nonorthogonal mesh was used to representing the geometry of experimental apparatus and the raceway channel. The model was validated against experimental results and afterwards was used to simulate the injection of two pulverized coals into the raceway. The comparison between model results for temperature and gas composition and experimental/industrial data showed very close agreement. The mathematical model proved to be useful to predict the effect of injection of different coal types in the raceway and an efficient tool to evaluate new raw materials for the blast furnace. Key words: Blast furnace, ironmaking, tuyeres, Pulverized coal injection, mathematical modeling, computational simulation.O alto-forno é um reator de fluxo contra corrente e tem como principal objetivo a produção de gusa. A injeção de materiais particulados é feita via ventaneiras objetivando diminuir a quantidade de coque carregado via topo do alto-forno. Esta técnica abriu as opções de utilização de matérias-primas de menor valor agregado que o coque, insumo que no Brasil é produzido com misturas de carvões importados. Este trabalho propõe a simulação da injeção de carvão pulverizado utilizando um modelo matemático 3D, multifásico. Como fases consideramse uma fase gasosa e duas fases sólidas correspondendo a dois tipos de carvões pulverizados, com alto e baixo teor de voláteis respectivamente. Desta forma, as fases sólidas, quando consideradas simultaneamente na injeção, são representadas por diferentes campos de velocidade e temperatura, além de sua própria composição química. As taxas de cinética química das reações foram consideradas através de modelos clássicos da literatura e eventualmente tiveram suas constantes ajustadas para melhor representarem os carvões individualmente no processo industrial. A solução numérica foi obtida através de um código desenvolvido em Fortran 90/95, com base no método de volumes finitos utilizado na discretização do sistema de equações diferenciais não lineares. A malha utilizada é não ortogonal para melhor representar a geometria do equipamento experimental descrito na literatura e utilizado para validar o modelo e, posteriormente, a geometria das ventaneiras com diferentes pontos de injeção. Os resultados obtidos de temperatura e composição do gás apresentam uma boa concordância com os resultados experimentais. O modelo também se mostra eficiente para a previsão do efeito de diferentes tipos de carvão injetados via ventaneiras. Palavras-chave: Alto-forno, redução, ventaneiras, injeção de carvão, modelagem matemática, simulação computacional

Modelagem e simulação computacional da injeção de carvão pulverizado no canal adutor da “raceway” de altos-fornos

The blast furnace is a counter current flow reactor whose main purpose is to produce hot metal. This process uses as auxiliary fuel the injection of pulverized coal through the equipment termed tuyere. Recently, the price of premium coals became prohibitive for using in the blast furnace, especially in Brazil, where this raw material is imported. The analysis was based on a 3D multi phase mathematical model. Three phases are considered in this model, namely, gaseous phase and two solid phases of pulverized coals. It was analyzed a high volatile and low volatile pulverized coal into different configurations of injection lances. The pulverized coal phases are considered separately pursuing velocity fields, temperature and the chemical composition. The chemical kinetics rates were adapted from literature and eventually the rate constants were adjusted for representing the individual reactivity of the pulverized coal. The numerical solutions of the highly non-linear system of differential equations were obtained in a computational code written in Fortran 90/95, based on finite volume method. Nonorthogonal mesh was used to representing the geometry of experimental apparatus and the raceway channel. The model was validated against experimental results and afterwards was used to simulate the injection of two pulverized coals into the raceway. The comparison between model results for temperature and gas composition and experimental/industrial data showed very close agreement. The mathematical model proved to be useful to predict the effect of injection of different coal types in the raceway and an efficient tool to evaluate new raw materials for the blast furnace. Key words: Blast furnace, ironmaking, tuyeres, Pulverized coal injection, mathematical modeling, computational simulation.O alto-forno é um reator de fluxo contra corrente e tem como principal objetivo a produção de gusa. A injeção de materiais particulados é feita via ventaneiras objetivando diminuir a quantidade de coque carregado via topo do alto-forno. Esta técnica abriu as opções de utilização de matérias-primas de menor valor agregado que o coque, insumo que no Brasil é produzido com misturas de carvões importados. Este trabalho propõe a simulação da injeção de carvão pulverizado utilizando um modelo matemático 3D, multifásico. Como fases consideramse uma fase gasosa e duas fases sólidas correspondendo a dois tipos de carvões pulverizados, com alto e baixo teor de voláteis respectivamente. Desta forma, as fases sólidas, quando consideradas simultaneamente na injeção, são representadas por diferentes campos de velocidade e temperatura, além de sua própria composição química. As taxas de cinética química das reações foram consideradas através de modelos clássicos da literatura e eventualmente tiveram suas constantes ajustadas para melhor representarem os carvões individualmente no processo industrial. A solução numérica foi obtida através de um código desenvolvido em Fortran 90/95, com base no método de volumes finitos utilizado na discretização do sistema de equações diferenciais não lineares. A malha utilizada é não ortogonal para melhor representar a geometria do equipamento experimental descrito na literatura e utilizado para validar o modelo e, posteriormente, a geometria das ventaneiras com diferentes pontos de injeção. Os resultados obtidos de temperatura e composição do gás apresentam uma boa concordância com os resultados experimentais. O modelo também se mostra eficiente para a previsão do efeito de diferentes tipos de carvão injetados via ventaneiras. Palavras-chave: Alto-forno, redução, ventaneiras, injeção de carvão, modelagem matemática, simulação computacional

Novel 3-hydroxy-4-pyridinonato oxidovanadium(IV) complexes to investigate structure/activity relationships

A previous evaluation of the insulin-like activity of three 3-hydroxy-4-pyridinonato oxidovanadium(IV) complexes raised questions about structure/activity relationships, namely the influence of the hydrophilic/lipophilic balance of the complex and the capacity of the ligand to stabilize the +4 oxidation state of vanadium ion, on achieving an positive effect. To address these questions, we synthesized six new oxidovanadium(IV) complexes with variable hydrophilic/lipophilic balance, obtained by introducing different substituents on the nitrogen atom, and used two 3-hydroxy-4-pyrones as starting reagents to provide methyl and ethyl groups in the ortho position of the ring. For the new and previously reported complexes, we studied the oxidation–reduction properties and insulin-like activity in terms of inhibitory effect on Free fatty acid (FFA) release in isolated rat adipocytes. The results obtained show that only one of the complexes, Bis(3-hydroxy-1(H)-2-methyl-4-pyridonato)oxidovanadium(IV), VO(mpp)2, exhibits a significantly greater capacity to inhibit FFA release than VOSO4 and consequently is worthy to be considered for further studies. The establishment of structure activity relationships was not attainable but this study brings new information about the influence of some properties of the compounds on the achievement of an insulin-like effect. The results reveal that: (i) the oxidation–reduction cycles of the complexes are identical; (ii) the presence of more lipophilic substituents on the nitrogen atom does not enhance insulin-like properties; (iii) a high solubility in water proved to be not sufficient for a positive activity in inhibiting FFA release; (iv) a small molecular size may be an important property for reaching the right targets.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A sustainable peroxophosphomolybdate/H2O2 system for the oxidative removal of organosulfur compounds from simulated and real high-sulfur diesels

Highly efficient, deep desulfurization of a multi-component model diesel containing benzothiophene (BT), dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) has been achieved by using the peroxophosphomolybdate [(n-C4H9)4N]3{PO4[MoO(O2)2]4} (Q3PMo4) directly as catalyst, and aqueous H2O2 as oxidant. Q3PMo4 behaves as a heterogeneous catalyst in the complete oxidation of the various sulfur compounds to the corresponding sulfones within 3 h at 70 °C, using a relatively low H2O2/S molar ratio of 3.7, and could be recycled for ten times with only a minimal decrease in activity. A study was performed to adapt the catalyst Q3PMo4 for the removal of sulfur from a real untreated diesel while maintaining a low, economically desirable, H2O2/S molar ratio of 3.7. The highest desulfurization performance was achieved in the presence of an extraction solvent during the catalytic oxidative stage, reinforced by two extraction steps before and after sulfur oxidation. Under these conditions, the sulfur content of the real diesel was reduced from 2300 to 500 ppm (78% desulfurization efficiency) after 3 h.publishe