Mechanistic Understanding of Sieving Lithium Ions Using a Biobased Sorbent Technology for Sustainable Lithium Reclamation and Cleansing Brines.

Low-cost environmentally benign materials that can be produced in a large scale to extract lithium from brine resources could drive the lithium market toward a clean technology with high lithium recovery and production. Herein, we have investigated the utilization of a novel, environmentally benign, and low-cost biobased sorbent for the extraction of lithium from lithium-rich solutions. This biobased molecular sieving sorbent, iron(III)-tannate (Fe(III)-TA), belongs to a novel class of coordination polymer frameworks derived from a natural polyphenol-tannic acid (TA)-coordinated with iron(III) metal cations. Its lithium adsorption and kinetic isotherm studies conducted using lithium-rich aqueous solutions confirm the sorbent's dual function for lithium sieving via physisorption, chemisorption, and mass transfer diffusion processes. The adsorption equilibrium and kinetic isotherm models combined with the external and internal mass transfer diffusion models reveal a mechanistic pathway for lithium-ion adsorption. Aiding by forming a fluid film for external mass transfer diffusion of lithium ions, analytes adsorb onto the sorbent surface via physisorption and chemisorption followed by the internal mass transfer diffusion, occupying lithium ions in the sorbent's pores. The lithium adsorption efficiency studies conducted for brines with different concentrations of interference alkali and alkaline cations evidence that the sorbent's affinity for lithium ions strongly depends on the analyte concentration. The results evidence that the sorbent has the ability to lower the brine's salinity and significantly reduces the ratios of Mg/Li and Ca/Li by 4-fold and 10-fold, respectively, yielding lithium-rich solutions. Thus, implementing this innovative biobased sorbent technology as an add-in step into traditional lithium extraction and refining processes, one can design a cost-effective pathway to yield lithium-rich leachate by reducing the Mg/Li and Ca/Li ratio. Nonetheless, the present work demonstrates that Fe(III)-tannate is an effective multifunctional sorbent for sieving lithium from lithium-rich aqueous solutions as well as for desalinating brine resources to recover usable water. Thus, this biobased sorbent offers the possibility of effective application of lithium reclamation and remediation of brine, mitigating the environmental impact of brine discharge and large volume of freshwater usage for lithium extraction and refining.

A review of different frying oils and oleogels as alternative frying media for fat-uptake reduction in deep-fat fried foods.

Purpose: This review aims to examine the potential of oleogels as a frying medium to decrease oil absorption during deep-frying and enhance the nutritional and energy content of foods. By investigating the factors influencing oil incorporation during deep-frying and examining the application of oleogels in this process, we seek to provide insights into using oleogels as an alternative to traditional cooking oils. Scope: Deep-frying, a widely used cooking method, leads to the retention of large amounts of oil in fried food, which has been associated with health concerns. To address this issue, researchers have investigated various methods to minimize oil absorption during frying. One promising approach is the use of oleogels, which are thermo-reversible, three-dimensional gel networks formed by entrapment of bulk oil with a low concentration (<10% of weight) of solid lipid materials known as oleogelators. This review will focus on the following aspects: a) an overview of deep-fried foods, b) factors influencing oil uptake and underlying mechanisms for oil absorption during deep-frying, c) the characterization and application of different frying oils and their oleogels in deep-fried foods, d) components of the oleogel system for deep-frying, and e) the health impact, oxidative stability, and sensory acceptability of using oleogels in deep-frying. Key findings: The review highlights the potential of oleogels as a promising alternative frying medium to reduce fat absorption in deep-fried foods. Considering the factors influencing oil uptake during deep-frying, as well as exploring the properties and applications of different frying oils and their oleogels, can result in improved product qualities and heightened consumer acceptance. Moreover, oleogels offer the advantage of lower fat content in fried products, addressing health concerns associated with traditional deep-frying methods. The capacity to enhance the nutritional and energy profile of foods while preserving sensory qualities and oxidative stability positions oleogels as a promising choice for upcoming food processing applications.

An insight to the therapeutic potential of algae-derived sulfated polysaccharides and polyunsaturated fatty acids: Focusing on the COVID-19.

Covid-19 pandemic severely affected human health worldwide. The rapidly increasing COVID-19 cases and successive mutations of the virus have made it a major challenge for scientists to find the best and efficient drug/vaccine/strategy to counteract the virus pathogenesis. As a result of research in scientific databases, regulating the immune system and its responses with nutrients and nutritional interventions is the most critical solution to prevent and combat this infection. Also, modulating other organs such as the intestine with these compounds can lead to the vaccines' effectiveness. Marine resources, mainly algae, are rich sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds with known immunomodulatory properties and the gut microbiome regulations. According to the purpose of the review, algae-derived bioactive compounds with immunomodulatory activities, sulfated polysaccharides, and polyunsaturated fatty acids have a good effect on the immune system. In addition, they have probiotic/prebiotic properties in the intestine and modulate the gut microbiomes; therefore, they can increase the effectiveness of vaccines produced. Thus, they with respectable safety, immune regulation, and modulation of microbiota have potential therapeutic against infections, especially COVID-19. They can also be employed as promising candidates for the prevention and treatment of viral infections, such as COVID-19.

Physicochemical Changes of Deep-Fat-Fried Chicken Drumsticks Treated with Quercetin-in-Edible Coating during Storage Time.

In this study, 10% of chicken protein isolate (CPI) and quercetin (1 mg/mL) were used to develop an edible coating to improve the oxidative stability of deep-fat-fried chicken drumsticks during refrigerated storage (4 °C) for 10 days. Chicken samples with edible coating formulated with only 10% CPI served as the control. Although the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values of the treated samples were lower than the control samples, no significant differences were observed. Quercetin-treated samples were generally harder than control samples. The pH was reduced by quercetin incorporation (p < 0.05). L* and b* values increased, while there was no significant variation in a* values during storage (p > 0.05).