Recovery of flavonoids from grape skins by enzyme-assisted extraction

Grape skin contains large amounts of different flavonoids so it can be used for their recovery. Optimization of enzyme-assisted extraction of flavonoids was conducted using oenological enzyme preparations with respect to enzyme dosage, temperature, extraction time, pH, and enzyme preparation. Optimal conditions were obtained using enzyme preparation Lallzyme EX-V, at the temperature of 45°C, time of 3 h, pH 2.0, and enzyme dosage of 10.52 mg/g. The new optimized extraction method is less expensive, simple, accurate, and selective for the recovery of simple flavonoids. It is based on an environmentally-friendly extraction solvent which may provide a valuable alternative to conventional methods.     

Influence of Ultrasonic Oscillation on Static and Sliding Friction

Vibrations of varying frequency and amplitude are used in many technological areas to control and reduce friction. In this study we report the results of systematic high-precision measurements of the static and sliding friction under the influence of ultrasonic oscillations. We investigate the effect of ultrasonic oscillations for in-plane and out-of-plane oscillations in the completely relevant interval of oscillation amplitudes and sliding velocities and for various material pairings. The experimental results are interpreted on the basis of both macroscopic and microscopic models. There are two main effects which are of interest for tribological applications. Firstly, the frictional force typically decreases with increasing oscillation amplitude, with an oscillation amplitude of about 0.1???m typically being sufficient for a significant decrease of frictional force. Secondly, the decrease of force is larger at smaller sliding velocities; therefore, at sufficiently large oscillation amplitudes, the frictional force always increases with sliding velocity. This effect can be used to suppress frictionally induced vibrations.     

Antioxidant and antilisterial activity of olive oil,cocoa and rosemary extract polyphenols

Antibacterial and antioxidant activity of polyphenols from olive oil, cocoa, and rosemary extract was tested. Antimicrobial activity against Listeria strains was assessed using broth dilution and time-kill curve methods. The 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydracyl hydrate (DPPH) radical scavenging method, Folin–Ciocalteu method, and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used for phenolics identification and determination of antioxidants level. Antibacterial and antioxidant activity of main pure phenolic compounds, such as hydroxytyrosol in olive oil, epicatechin in cocoa and carnosic acid in rosemary was each compared with their extracts.     

Radioactive contamination in Croatia by phosphate fertilizer production

The contents of natural radionuclides (radium, uranium and potassium) were measured in the area of a phosphate fertilizer factory in central Croatia, as a part of extended and still ongoing monitoring program of radioactive contamination of human environment in Croatia that is performed by the Radiation Protection Unit of the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health in Zagreb. Activity concentrations in all analysed media (waste water, trickling water from piezometers, phosphogypsum deposit and final products) considerably fluctuated, especially in phosphogypsum and waste water. Mean (226)Ra activity concentration in waste phosphogypsum was measured to be 483+/-190 Bqkg(-1). Based on that value, it was estimated that 4 million m(3) of phosphogypsum that have been deposited up to now contain about 4.3 x 10(12) Bq, i.e. about 200 g of (226)Ra. However, effective dose for an adult that would be incurred by consumption of water from nearby wells was estimated to be 5.3+/-1.3 microSv. The results show that (226)Ra activities cause effective doses, which are below the recommended maximum as the estimated annual (226)Ra effective dose does not exceed 0.1 mSv as recommended by the World Health Organization.     

Metabolic Disturbances in Rat Sublines with Constitutionally Altered Serotonin Homeostasis

Central and peripheral serotonin (5HT) have opposing functions in the regulation of energy homeostasis. Both increasing 5HT signaling in the brain and decreasing 5HT signaling in the periphery have been proposed as potential treatments for obesity. This study investigates the relationship between constitutionally high or low 5HT activity and systemic net energy balance. Two sublines of rats with high and low whole-body 5HT tone, obtained by selective breeding for platelet 5HT parameters, were examined for fat accumulation in different white adipose tissue (WAT) depots, glucose/insulin tolerance, blood metabolic parameters, and expression of various metabolic genes. High-5HT animals, unlike their low-5HT counterparts, developed widespread intra-abdominal obesity associated with glucose and insulin intolerance, which worsened with age. They also had elevated blood glucose and lipid parameters but showed no significant changes in circulating leptin, resistin, and adipsin levels. Surprisingly, adiponectin levels were increased in plasma but reduced in the WAT of high-5HT rats. A limited number of metabolic genes belonging to different functional classes showed differential expression in WAT of high-5HT compared to low-5HT rats. Overall, a constitutive increase in 5HT tone is associated with a positive energy balance acting through subtle dysregulation of a broad spectrum of metabolic pathways.     

Kinetics of struvite to newberyite transformation in the precipitation system MgCl2-NH4H2PO4NaOH-H2O

The influence of the initial reactant concentrations on the composition of the solid phases formed in the precipitation system MgCl(2)-NH(4)H(2)PO(4)-NaOH-H(2)O was investigated. The precipitation diagram constructed shows the approximate concentration regions within which struvite, newberyite, and their mixtures exist at 25 degrees C and an aging time of 60 min. It was found that immediately after mixing the reactant solutions, struvite (MgNH(4)PO(4).6H(2)O) precipitated in nearly the whole concentration area, while newberyite (MgHPO(4).3H(2)O) appeared mostly within the region of the excess of magnesium concentration. It was also found that after aging time of 60 min the precipitation domain of struvite alone is much broader than that of newberyite or the domain of their coexistence, and shows that struvite is more abundant in the systems in which the initial concentration of ammonium phosphate is higher than that of magnesium. The kinetics of struvite to newberyite transformation (conversion) was systematically studied under the conditions of different initial reactant concentrations and different initial pH in the systems in which a mixture of both phases precipitated spontaneously. The struvite to newberyite conversion period was found to be strongly related to the ratio of initial supersaturations, S(N)/S(S), rather than to the any particular physical quantity that can describe and predict the behavior of the precipitation system. Experimental data suggest a solution-mediated process as a most possible transformation mechanism. Along with a continuous monitoring of the changes in the liquid phase, the content of struvite in the solid phase was estimated by means of a Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) method, developed for this particular precipitation system.