Ultrasound increases the aqueous extraction of phenolic compounds with high antioxidant activity from olive pomace

Olive pomace is a waste produced by the olive oil industry in massive quantities each year. Disposal of olive pomace is difficult due to high concentrations of phenolic compounds, which is an environmental concern. However, phenolic compounds have applications in the health industry. Therefore, extraction of phenolic compounds from olive pomace has the potential to remove an environmentally hazardous portion of pomace while creating an additional source of income for farmers and producers. Using advanced technologies including Ultrasound Assisted Extraction (UAE), combined with water as an extraction solvent, has recently gained popularity. The present study outlines the optimal UAE conditions for the extraction of phenolic compounds with high antioxidant activity from olive pomace. Optimal conditions were developed using RSM for parameters power, time and sample-to-solvent ratio. Total phenolic compounds determined by Folin Ciocalteu method and total major bioactive compounds determined by HPLC as well as antioxidant capacity (DPPH and CUPRAC) were investigated. The optimal conditions for the extraction of phenolic compounds with high antioxidant activity were 2 g of dried pomace/100 mL of water at 250 W power for 75 min. UAE improved the extraction efficiency of water and yielded extracts with high levels of phenolic compounds and strong antioxidant activity

The olive biophenols oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol selectively reduce proliferation, influence the cell cycle, and induce apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells

Current chemotherapy drugs for pancreatic cancer only offer an increase in survival of up to six months. Additionally, they are highly toxic to normal tissues, drastically affecting the quality of life of patients. Therefore, the search for novel agents, which induce apoptosis in cancer cells while displaying limited toxicity towards normal cells, is paramount. The olive biophenols, oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol, have displayed cytotoxicity towards cancer cells without affecting non-tumorigenic cells in cancers of the breast and prostate. However, their activity in pancreatic cancer has not been investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the anti-pancreatic cancer potential of oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol. Pancreatic cancer cells (MIA PaCa-2, BxPC-3, and CFPAC-1) and non-tumorigenic pancreas cells (HPDE) were treated with oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol to determine their effect on cell viability. Oleuropein displayed selective toxicity towards MIA PaCa-2 cells and hydroxytyrosol towards MIA PaCa-2 and HPDE cells. Subsequent analysis of Bcl-2 family proteins and caspase 3/7 activation determined that oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol induced apoptosis in MIA PaCa-2 cells, while oleuropein displayed a protective effect on HPDE cells. Gene expression analysis revealed putative mechanisms of action, which suggested that c-Jun and c-Fos are involved in oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol induced apoptosis of MIA PaCa-2 cells

The effects of dietary fish oil on hepatic high density and low density lipoprotein receptor activities in the rat

AbstractRats were fed either a standard ration diet or that diet supplemented with 8% by wt of a marine fish oil or safflower oil. After 10 days, plasma triacylglycerols, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, hepatic cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis and hepatic low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor activity were significantly depressed while HDL receptor activity was significantly increased in rats fed fish oil. Fish oil-induced effects on cholesterol metabolism in the rat therefore include reciprocal changes in the activities of hepatic LDL and HDL receptors

Reply to: Punctuated transgression (?): Comment on Oliver, T.S.N., Donaldson, P., Sharples, C., Roach, M., and Woodroffe, C.D. Punctuated progradation of the Seven Mile Beach Holocene barrier system, southeastern Tasmania

Our interpretation of the depositional history of the prograded barrier at Seven Mile Beach in Tasmania, described in Oliver et al. (2017a), was based on the morphology of ridges apparent in the LiDAR-based digital elevation data and a sample of 14 optically-stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages. Dougherty (2018) has identified gaps in the chronology and speculated that progradation may have occurred as sea level fell from a mid-Holocene highstand inappropriately applying sea-level curves from mainland Australia. Despite a highstand being inferred by early research in Tasmania, glacio-isostatic modelling and recent sea-level studies adopted a prevailing view that excluded a highstand. Our observations led us to question this prevailing view and to suggest that it might be appropriate to reopen the debate on Holocene sea-level change in Tasmania. We welcome the renewed interest in the chronology and sea-level history of this prograded barrier, and look forward to further clarification based on new evidence. The site may have the potential to become one of the more continuous and better-constrained sea-level records in southern Australia

Extraction of flavonoids from bitter melon

Bitter melon, Momordica charantia L, is a popular traditional medicinal fruit in tropical and subtropical countries. It has been linked with therapeutic effects, some of which are likely due to its flavonoids. To determine its total flavonoid content (TFC) and to prepare extracts for use as nutritional supplements or ingredients for nutraceutical functional foods, various solvents have been used, including water, which is the preferred solvent because it is inexpensive, safe and environmentally friendly. The study aimed to extract bitter melon, using five solvents (ethanol, methanol, n-butanol, acetone and water) before and after the optimal conditions for water were determined in terms of extraction temperature, time, ratio of water to bitter melon (mL/g) and number of times the same material was extracted. The TFC of six varieties of bitter melon was also determined. Acetone was the best of the five solvents for extracting flavonoids from the Moonlight variety (23.2 mg Rutin Equivalents (RE)/g). Even after increasing the extraction by 88% (1.24 vs 0.66 mg RE/g) using optimised conditions for the aqueous extraction (two extractions at 40℃ for 15 min at a ratio of 100:1 mL/g of bitter melon powder), the flavonoids extracted from the Moonlight variety using water was very little (5.4%) compared to acetone. Furthermore, using acetone, it was shown that the Moonlight variety (23.2 mg RE/g) bought at a local market had higher levels of flavonoids than the greenhouse-grown Jade (15.3 mg RE/g), Niddhi (16.9 mg RE/g), Indra (15.0 mg RE/ g), Hanuman (3.9 mg RE/g) and White (6.9 mg RE/g) varieties. Therefore, acetone was the best solvent for extracting flavonoids from bitter melon and the aqueous extraction could only be improved to extract 5.4% of the flavonoids extracted with acetone from the Moonlight variety, which had the highest TFC of the six varieties of bitter melon

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of GAC peel : an optimization of extraction conditions for recovering carotenoids and antioxidant capacity

The peel of Gac fruit (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng.), which is considered as waste of Gac processing, has been found to possess high levels of carotenoids and other antioxidants. This study aimed at determining the optimal conditions of an ultrasound-assisted extraction for recovering carotenoids and antioxidant capacity from Gac peel. A response surface methodology using the Box–Behnken design was employed to investigate the impact of extraction time, temperature and ultrasonic power on the recovery of total carotenoid and antioxidant capacity. The results showed that an extraction time of 76 min, temperature of 50 °C and ultrasonic power of 250 W were the optimal conditions for the extraction. The experimental carotenoid yield and antioxidant capacity obtained under the optimal extraction conditions were validated as 269 mg/100 g DW (dry weight) and 822 µM TE (Trolox equivalent)/100 g DW, respectively. These values were not significantly different from the values predicted by the models. The HPLC analysis for carotenoid composition showed that β-carotene, lycopene and lutein were the principal carotenoids of the extract, which constitute 86% of the total carotenoid content. Based on the obtained results, the ultrasound-assisted extraction using ethyl acetate under the above optimal conditions is suggested for the simultaneous recovery of carotenoids and antioxidant capacity from Gac peel

From Gas Phase Observations to Solid State Reality: The Identification and Isolation of Trinuclear Salicylaldoximato Copper Complexes

Conditions have been identified in which phenolic aldoximes and ketoximes of the types used in commercial solvent extraction processes can be doubly deprotonated and generate polynuclear Cu complexes with lower extractant:Cu molar ratios than those found in commercial operations. Electrospray mass spectrometry has provided an insight into the solution speciation in extraction experiments and has identified conditions to allow isolation and characterization of polynuclear Cu-complexes. Elevation of pH is effective in enhancing the formation of trinuclear complexes containing planar {Cu3-μ3-O}4+ or {Cu3-μ3-OH}5+ units. DFT calculations suggest that such trinuclear complexes are more stable than other polynuclear species. Solid structures of complexes formed by a salicylaldoxime with a piperidino substituent ortho to the phenolic OH group (L9H2) contain two trinuclear units in a supramolecular assembly, {[Cu3OH(L9H)3(ClO4)](ClO4)} 2, formed by H-bonding between the central {Cu3-μ3-OH}5+ units and oxygen atoms in the ligands of an adjacent complex. Whilst the lower ligand:Cu molar ratios provide more efficient Cu-loading in solvent extraction processes, the requirement to raise the pH of the aqueous phase to achieve this will make it impractical in most commercial operations because extraction will be accompanied by the precipitation (as oxyhydroxides) of Fe(III) which is present in significant quantities in feed solutions generated by acid leaching of most Cu ores

Nudging down theft from insecure vehicles. A pilot study

This report presents the preliminary findings of a pilot study to reduce thefts from cars committed against insecure vehicles, using the behavioural insights or ‘nudge approach’. The recipients of the ‘nudges’ were potential victims of theft from insecure vehicles living in high rate areas for this crime, where a bespoke leaflet campaign was developed to nudge vehicle owners into thinking more carefully when leaving their vehicles unattended, particularly when left on their driveways overnight. Although somewhat tentative at this stage, the preliminary findings indicate that the percentage of thefts committed against insecure vehicles in the two treatment areas was reduced significantly when compared with the two control group areas where no nudge interventions were introduced. This demonstrates that if appropriate nudges (grounded in psychological theory) are coupled with and delivered by appropriate messengers, the prosocial behavioural change can be encouraged which can lead to a reduction in criminal behaviour and opportunities for crim

The use of high aspect ratio photoresist (SU-8) for super-hydrophobic pattern prototyping

In this work we present a reliable technique for the production of large areas of high aspect-ratio patterns and describe their use as model super-hydrophobic systems. The high thickness and straight sidewalls possible with SU-8 were used to generate dense patterns of small pillars. These photoresist patterns could be used directly, without the need for micromoulding. A method is given allowing resist thickness to be varied over a wide range and a bottom antireflective layer was used to simplify patterning on reflective substrates. This patterning technique allows rapid testing of wetting theories, as pattern size and depth can be varied simply and samples can be produced in sufficient numbers for laboratory use. We show how the static contact angle of water varies with pattern height for one sample-pattern and how static and dynamic contact angles vary with dimension using high aspect-ratio patterns

Manipulating ultracold atoms with a reconfigurable nanomagnetic system of domain walls

The divide between the realms of atomic-scale quantum particles and lithographically-defined nanostructures is rapidly being bridged. Hybrid quantum systems comprising ultracold gas-phase atoms and substrate-bound devices already offer exciting prospects for quantum sensors, quantum information and quantum control. Ideally, such devices should be scalable, versatile and support quantum interactions with long coherence times. Fulfilling these criteria is extremely challenging as it demands a stable and tractable interface between two disparate regimes. Here we demonstrate an architecture for atomic control based on domain walls (DWs) in planar magnetic nanowires that provides a tunable atomic interaction, manifested experimentally as the reflection of ultracold atoms from a nanowire array. We exploit the magnetic reconfigurability of the nanowires to quickly and remotely tune the interaction with high reliability. This proof-of-principle study shows the practicability of more elaborate atom chips based on magnetic nanowires being used to perform atom optics on the nanometre scale.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure