Pistachio green hull and pomegranate peel extracts as two natural antiglycation agents.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are formed in the final step of the nonenzymatic Maillard reaction, which can contribute to various health problems such as diabetes mellitus, renal failure, and chronic inflammation. Bioactive compounds with antiglycation properties have the potential to inhibit AGE-related diseases. This study investigated the antiglycation potential of pistachio green hull (PGH) and pomegranate peel (PP) extracts, which are polyphenol-rich agro-residues, against fluorescent AGE formation and compared the results with pyridoxine (vitamin B6), metformin, and EDTA (as usual chemical antiglycation agents). The results showed that PGH and PP effectively inhibited the formation of AGEs in bovine serum albumin-glucose (BSA-Glu) and BSA-fructose (BSA-Fru) with antiglycation activities ranging from 92% to 97%. PP extract (with an IC50 of 94 mg ml-1) had a greater antiglycation ability than PGH extract (with an IC50 of 142 mg ml-1). Also, results indicated that the antiglycation activities of the extracts were comparable to that of pyridoxine, and higher than metformin and EDTA. These findings suggest that the two studied extracts can be used for sustainable production of high-added-value food products with a positive effect on consumers' health.

Berberis integerrima bioactive molecules loaded in chitosan-based electrospun nanofibers for soybean oil oxidative protection.

Natural bioactive molecules such as phenolic acids and alkaloids play a crucial role in preserving the quality and safety of food products, particularly oils, by preventing oxidation. Berberis integerrima, a rich source of such antioxidants, has been explored in this study for its potential application in soybean oil preservation. Electrospun nanofibers, composed of polyvinyl alcohol and chitosan, were fabricated and loaded with an alcoholic extract of Berberis integerrima. The antioxidant activity of Berberis integerrima was evaluated, and the phenolic compounds contributing to its efficacy were identified and quantified. The physicochemical properties of the polyvinyl alcohol /chitosan/Berberis integerrima nanofibers, including morphology, crystallinity, functional groups, and thermal stability, were characterized. The results revealed that the polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan/Berberis integerrima nanofibers exhibited high antioxidant capacity and improved the stability of Berberis integerrima, indicating their potential as effective and biodegradable materials for food preservation. This study underscores the potential of harnessing natural antioxidants from Berberis integerrima in nanofibers to enhance the quality and safety of soybean oil.

Adhesive Porosity Analysis of Composite Adhesive Joints Using Ultrasonic Guided Waves.

Adhesively bonded composite joints can develop voids and porosity during fabrication, leading to stress concentration and a reduced load-carrying capacity. Hence, adhesive porosity analysis during the fabrication is crucial to ensure the required quality and reliability. Ultrasonic-guided wave (UGW)-based techniques without advanced signal processing often provide low-resolution imaging and can be ineffective for detecting small-size defects. This article proposes a damage imaging process for adhesive porosity analysis of bonded composite plates using UGWs measured by scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). To implement this approach, a piezoelectric transducer is mounted on the composite joint specimen to generate UGWs, which are measured over a densely sampled area. The signals obtained from the scan are processed using the proposed signal processing in different domains. Through the utilization of filter banks in frequency and wavenumber domains, along with the root-mean-square calculation of filtered signals, damage images of the adhesive region are obtained. It has been observed that different filters provide information related to different void sizes. Combining all the images reconstructed by filters, a final image is obtained which contains damages of various sizes. The images obtained by the proposed method are verified by radiography results and the porosity analysis is presented. The results indicate that the proposed methodology can detect the pores with the smallest detectable pore area of 2.41 mm2, corresponding to a radius of 0.88 mm, with an overall tendency to overestimate the pore size by an average of 11%.

Combining ion mobility spectrometry and chemometrics for detecting synthetic colorants in black tea: A reliable and fast method.

Black tea (Camellia sinensis) is a widely consumed beverage and is subjected to adulteration. In this study, the combination of ion mobility spectrometry and machine learning techniques was employed to detect synthetic colorants in black tea. To accomplish our objective, six synthetic colorants (carmine, carmoisine, indigo carmine, brilliant blue, sunset yellow, and tartrazine) were added to pure tea at different concentrations. A qualitative model was built using partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) for the collected data and exhibited 100% accuracy in identifying synthetic colorants in black tea. For quantitative analysis, a PLS regression model was employed. The R2 values obtained for the test set ranged from 0.986 to 0.997. The method developed in this study has proven to be reliable and effective in detecting synthetic colorants in black tea. Also, this method is a simple, rapid, and trustworthy tool for identifying adulteration in black tea.

Synergistic antibacterial effect of the pistachio green hull extract-loaded porphysome decorated with 4-nitroimidazole against bacteria.

'Active targeting' refers to modifying a nanocarrier's surface with targeting ligands. This study introduced an efficient approach for immobilizing imidazole-based drugs onto the metallated-porphyrin complex within the porphysome nanocarrier. To enhance cellular and bacterial uptake, a Ni-porphyrin with a fatty acid tail was synthesized and placed in the bilayer center of DPPC, facilitating receptor-mediated endocytosis. The Ni-porphyrin in the head group of the Ni-porphyrin-tail was placed superficially in the polar region of the membrane. Spherical unilamellar vesicle formation (DPPC: Ni-porphyrin-tail 4:1 mole ratio), as metallo-porphysome, was achieved through supramolecular self-assembly in an aqueous buffer. These vesicles exhibited a diameter of 279 ± 7 nm and a zeta potential of -15.3 ± 2.5 mV, showcasing their unique cytocompatibility. Nitroimidazole was decorated on the surface of metallo-porphysomes and pistachio green hull extract (PGHE) was loaded into the carrier for synergistic activity against (E. coli) and (S. aureus) bacteria strains. The physicochemical properties of Nitroimidazole-porphysome-PGHE, including size, zeta potential, morphology, loading efficiency, and release profile under various pH and temperature conditions in simulated gastrointestinal fluids were characterized. This combination therapy prevented bacterial cell attachment and biofilm formation in Caco-2 cells, as colon epithelial cells. The remarkable benefit of this system is that it does not affect cell viability even at 0.5 mg/ml. This study demonstrates the potential of a new co-delivery system using biocompatible metallo-porphysomes to decrease bacterial infections.

Porous Starch-inulin Loaded Quercetin Microcapsules: Characterization, Antioxidant Activity, in-vitro Release, and Storage Stability.

Quercetin (Q) has many potential health benefits, but its low stability limits its use in functional foods and pharmaceuticals. The low stability of quercetin is a challenge that needs to be addressed to fully realize its therapeutic potential. The purpose of this study was therefore to design a proper carrier based on porous starch (PS) and inulin (IN) in order to improve the stability of Q. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images denoted that the Q molecules were adsorbed in the PS pores and partially adhered to the surface of the granules. Both types of the wall material could remarkably enhance the protection of Q against thermal and light degradation. The retention index of Q under different environmental conditions was higher for the PS:IN-Q than PS-Q. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) revealed that Q interacted with the wall materials through non-covalent bonds. X-ray diffraction (XRD) also confirmed the encapsulation of Q in the wall materials. The bonding between Q and the hydrogen groups of starch compacted the crystalline regions and increased the relative crystallinity in PS-Q and PS:IN-Q. The DPPH and ABTS scavenging activities of the microcapsules containing the PS and IN were higher than those of free Q. Examination of the in-vitro release profile indicated that the Q release rate was lower from the PS:IN-Q microcapsules (21.6%) than from the PS-Q ones (33.7%). Our findings highlight the significant potential of this novel biopolymer mixture (PS/IN) as a promising wall material for the protection and delivery of bioactive compounds.

Baseline-Free Damage Imaging of Composite Lap Joint via Parallel Array of Piezoelectric Sensors.

This paper presents a baseline-free damage imaging technique using a parallel array of piezoelectric sensors and a control board that facilitates custom combinations of sensor selection. This technique incorporates an imaging algorithm that uses parallel beams for generation and reception of ultrasonic guided waves in a pitch-catch configuration. A baseline-free reconstruction algorithm for probabilistic inspection of defects (RAPID) algorithm is adopted. The proposed RAPID method replaces the conventional approach of using signal difference coefficients with the maximum signal envelope as a damage index, ensuring independence from baseline data. Additionally, conversely to the conventional RAPID algorithm which uses all possible sensor combinations, an innovative selection of combinations is proposed to mitigate attenuation effects. The proposed method is designed for the inspection of lap joints. Experimental measurements were carried out on a composite lap joint, which featured two dissimilar-sized disbonds positioned at the lap joint's borderline. A 2D correlation coefficient was used to quantitatively determine the similarity between the obtained images and a reference image with correct defect shapes and locations. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed damage imaging method in detecting both defects. Additionally, parametric studies were conducted to illustrate how various parameters influence the accuracy of the obtained imaging results.

A Large Sublingual Dermoid Cyst Causing Dysphagia and Dysphonia: A Case Review Study.

A seventeen-year-old girl was referred to the emergency department with dysphagia and dyspnea due to large swelling in the floor of the mouth after 20 days of evaluation. Magnetic resonance imaging shows a well-defined sublingual mass measuring 70 mm × 74 mm × 46 mm, causing severe oral and oropharyngeal space narrowing. The surgical excision of the lesion was performed through an intraoral approach under general anesthesia. Moreover, the pathologist reported a dermoid cyst. A dermoid cyst rapidly enlarging can lead to a life-threatening condition, particularly if they grow near main upper airway structures, so their resection in golden time has an especially clinical importance.

Potential inhibitory effect of fish, maize, and whey protein hydrolysates on advanced glycation end-products (AGEs).

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are produced in the final stage of the Maillard reaction. AGEs formation may be inhibited by natural hydrolysates derived from plant or animal sources. The present study aimed to investigate the antiglycation potential of fish, maize, and whey protein hydrolysates. It was carried out in four model systems, Bovine serum albumin (BSA)-Glucose, BSA-Fructose, BSA-Sorbitol, and BSA-HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), by evaluation of fluorescent intensity of AGEs after seven days of reaction at 37°C. The results showed that the highest inhibitory effect belonged to 0.16% of FPH (fish protein hydrolysate, percent inhibition ~99.0%), whereas maize protein hydrolysate (MPH) had lower antiglycation activity in comparison with FPH. Among all hydrolysates, whey protein hydrolysate with the lowest degree of hydrolysis showed the weakest inhibitory activity. Overall, our results indicated that the investigated hydrolysates, particularly FPH, have promising antiglycation potential and can be recommended for the production of functional foods.

Interfacial effects of gallate alkyl esters on physical and oxidative stability of high fat fish oil-in-water emulsions stabilized with sodium caseinate and OSA-modified starch.

Effects of sodium caseinate (SC) and its combination with OSA-modified starch (SC-OS; 1:1) alone and with n-alkyl gallates (C0-C18) on the physical and oxidative stability of high-fat fish oil-in-water emulsion were evaluated. SC emulsion contained the smallest droplets and highest viscosity due to the fast adsorption at droplet surfaces. Both emulsions had non-Newtonian and shear-thinning behavior. A lower accumulation of lipid hydroperoxides and volatile compounds was found in SC emulsion due to its better Fe2+ chelating activity. The incorporated short-chain gallates (G1 > G0 âˆ¼ G3) in SC emulsion had a strong synergistic effect against lipid oxidation compared to that of SC-OS emulsion. The better antioxidant efficiency of G1 can be related to its higher partition at the oil-water interface, while G0 and G3 had a higher partition into the aqueous phase. In contrast, G8, G12, and G16 added emulsions indicated higher lipid oxidation due to their internalization inside the oil droplets.

Interfacial behavior of gallic acid and its alkyl esters in stripped soybean oil in combination with monoacylglycerol and phospholipid.

The effect of gallic acid alkyl esters and their combination with monoacylglycerol (MAG) and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) on the formation of hydroperoxides and hexanal were determined during the oxidation of stripped soybean oil. Interfacial tension, water content, and droplet size were evaluated to monitor the physical properties of the oil system. Adding MAG and DOPC, especially MAG/DOPC, to the oil promoted the partitioning of antioxidants into the water-oil interfaces by further reducing the interfacial tension. The stripped oil containing methyl gallate (MG) accompanied by MAG/DOPC had lower values of the critical micelle concentration of hydroperoxides and larger micellar size at the induction period. This confirms that MG was able to more effectively reduce the free hydroperoxides concentration and inhibit them in an interfacial way. The conjunction of surfactants has been shown as a promising strategy to improve the interfacial and antioxidant activity of gallates in the oxidative stability of soybean oil.

Phenolic compounds of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.): Separation method, chemical characterization, and biological properties.

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is a good source of bioactive compounds. However, information on the biological properties of sugar beet root is limited and its beneficial effects have not been completely understood. In this work, 10 phenolic compounds have been separated and identified in various parts of sugar beet for the first time, including the most abundant epicatechin (31.16 ± 1.89 mg/100 g), gallic acid (30.57 ± 2.69 mg/100 g), and quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (30.14 ± 3.63 mg/100 g). The biological activity tests indicated that sugar beet peel potently scavenged the nitric oxide and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radicals with IC50 values of 88.17 ± 05.14 and 28.77 ± 0.62 µg/ml, respectively. In addition, sugar beet peel exhibited the highest reducing power, IC50 values of 11.98 ± 1.20 µg/ml, and the highest ion-chelating activity, IC50 values of 48.52% and 55.21% for cupric and ferrous ions at 250 µg/ml, respectively. Compared to synthetic antioxidants, sugar beet showed promising biological activities, which could be considered further in future studies.

Porous corn starch obtained from combined cold plasma and enzymatic hydrolysis: Microstructure and physicochemical properties.

The combined effect of cold plasma treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis was investigated on the physicochemical and microstructural properties of porous corn starch. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images depicted that the combined treatment led to the creation of deeper pores on the surface of starch granules. The combined treatment indicated the highest swelling power (19.49 g/g), solubility (10.08 %), specific surface area (2.97 m2/g) and total pore volume (10.47 cm3/g). According to the X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), the combined treatment, compared with the enzymatic hydrolysis, decreased the starch crystallinity, the order of the double-helix structure, and the starch gelatinization enthalpy. The rapid visco analyzer (RVA) pasting profile revealed that the combined treatment elevated the breakdown and setback viscosities. This study indicated that cold plasma pretreatment, as a green non-thermal technology, facilitated the performance of enzymes, resulting in the production of a porous starch with a higher absorption capacity.

Locating and Imaging Fiber Breaks in CFRP Using Guided Wave Tomography and Eddy Current Testing.

In this paper, guided Lamb wave tomography and eddy current testing (ECT) techniques were combined to locate and evaluate fiber breaks in carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) structures. Guided wave testing (GWT) and computed tomography (CT) imaging were employed to quickly locate fiber breaks in the CFRP plate. From B-scans performed along two different fiber orientations (0 and 90 degrees), parallel-beam projections of different features were extracted from the guided wave signals, using signal-processing techniques (such as wavelet and Hilbert transforms) and statistical functions (such as skewness and kurtosis). The parallel-beam projections of each individual feature were used as input in computed tomography imaging reconstruction to approximately estimate the location of fiber breaks. From the obtained reconstructed images, image-fusion techniques were applied to get complementary information from multiple source images into one single image. After locating the fiber breaks, C-scans were performed in the vicinity of the damage, using an ECT probe with double excitation configuration to evaluate the condition of the fiber break.

Deodorization of sunflower oil by high voltage electric field as a nonthermal method sunflower oil refining by electric field.

In this study, the high voltage electric field (HVEF) method was used for deodorization of sunflower oil to omit drawbacks of an established industrial method including long time, high energy, chemicals and water consumption, loss of bioactive compounds, and formation of some contaminants due to exposure to heat. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to find the optimal values of processing parameters. The effects of voltage (5-15 kV), clay (0-1%), electrolyte concentration (0-50 mM), the number of electrodes (1-5 pairs), and electrodes distance (1-3 cm) on the volatile compounds and tocopherols content were investigated by HS-SPME-GC/MS and HPLC, respectively. The optimal processing conditions were determined to be a voltage of 5 kV, a distance of 1 cm between the electrodes and a number of five pairs of electrodes. The amount of bleaching clay and electrolyte concentration were zero under optimal conditions. The refining process by HVEF removed 32.33% of the volatile compounds from crude sunflower oil, while the industrial refining process reduced the volatile compounds by only 17.78%. Results indicated no change was observed in the tocopherols content of refined sunflower oil by HVEF method. Based on PCA results, HVEF-treated sample not only contained the lowest concentration of volatile compounds but also was the most similar to crude sample in terms of volatile compounds composition. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The oil refining process consists of four main stages, the last of which is deodorization. This step involves injecting steam at a temperature of about 240°C, under vacuum for about 50 min. High voltage electric field (HVEF) was able to reduce the number of volatile compounds, while no change was made in the tocopherol content of sunflower oil samples. It also does not form contaminant such as 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol fatty acid esters and glycidyl fatty acid esters. There is no need to apply the vacuum in HVEF refining, which reduces the production cost and makes the process flow straightforward as well as rapid. This research helps to propagate green refining procedures of vegetable oils in food plants.

Experimental Estimation of Lamb Wave Dispersion Curves for Adhesively Bonded Aluminum Plates, Using Two Adjacent Signals.

In this study, dispersion curve estimation of a bonded aluminum plate is carried out by proposing a specific signal processing procedure. In this proposed method, the angle beam ultrasonic transducer measurement system in a pitch-catch configuration is used to acquire Lamb wave signals from two adjacent positions. The obtained signals are processed then by using signal processing techniques, including bandpass filters, fast Fourier transform (FFT), and bandpass Gaussian filters. Various transmitted signals with different central frequencies are used to estimate four modes of the utilized bonded specimen for frequencies less than 1 MHz. The dispersion curve results in terms of phase velocity and wavenumbers are compared with theoretical dispersion curves and 2-D FFT. This comparison is carried out by using three different metrics, which shows the maximum mean relative error of 3.46% with low variance.

The efficacy of teriparatide (Cinnopar®) on bone repair in mandibular fractures: A single blinded randomized clinical trial.

This study focused on the effects of teriparatide (CinnoPar) on healing and postoperative complications in mandibular bone fractures. In this single-blind randomized controlled trial, 30 patients with a mandibular fracture hospitalized for open reduction internal fixation were randomly assigned to the intervention (I) (n = 15) and control (C) (n = 15) groups. Both groups received daily acetaminophen and cephalexin for 1 week. For 1 month, Group I received daily subcutaneous teriparatide injections. The Radiographic Union Scale of the Mandible (RUSM) was used to assess mandibular bone fusion subjectively, and the Hounsfield unit (HU) was used to objectively assess radiodensity in a computed tomography (CT) scan. In both groups, the visual analog scale (VAS) score was used to assess postoperative complications such as pain, swelling, wound opening, pus secretion, and bitter taste. There was no significant difference in bone repair between the two groups in this study (P > 0.05). Teriparatide also had no effect on the postoperative complication rate in the control group (P > 0.05). Within the limitations of the study it seems that in mandibular fractures, teriparatide did not affect bone fusion or postoperative complications, so its use is not recommended for better bone fusion and fewer postoperative complications of mandibular fracture during the first month.

Detection of fraud in lime juice using pattern recognition techniques and FT-IR spectroscopy.

The lime juice is one of the products that has always fallen victim to fraud by manufacturers for reducing the cost of products. The aim of this research was to determine fraud in distributed lime juice products from different factories in Iran. In this study, 101 samples were collected from markets and also prepared manually and finally derived into 5 classes as follows: two natural classes (Citrus limetta, Citrus aurantifolia), including 17 samples, and three reconstructed classes, including 84 samples (made from Spanish concentrate, Chinese concentrate, and concentrate containing adulteration compounds). The lime juice samples were freeze-dried and analyzed using FT-IR spectroscopy. At first, principal component analysis (PCA) was applied for clustering, but the samples were not thoroughly clustered with respect to their original groups in score plots. To enhance the classification rates, different chemometric algorithms including variable importance in projection (VIP), partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and counter propagation artificial neural networks (CPANN) were used. The best discriminatory wavenumbers related to each class were selected using the VIP-PLS-DA algorithm. Then, the CPANN algorithm was used as a nonlinear mapping tool for classification of the samples based on their original groups. The lime juice samples were correctly designated to their original groups in CPANN maps and the overall accuracy of the model reached up to 0.96 and 0.87 for the training and validation procedures. This level of accuracy indicated the FT-IR spectroscopy coupled with VIP-PLS-DA and CPANN methods can be used successfully for detection of authenticity of lime juice samples.

Tannin fraction of pistachio green hull extract with pancreatic lipase inhibitory and antioxidant activity.

Polyphenolic compounds (present in different parts of the plant) have beneficial properties such as antioxidant and inhibition of key enzymes. In this research, antioxidant and anti-lipase activity of pistachio green hull (PGH) extract was investigated. Fractionation of PGH on Sephadex LH-20 furnished a tannin enriched fraction with higher antioxidant activity respect to that of the extract and of the non-tannin fraction. UHPL/MS2 analyses showed the presence of phenolic compounds including galloyl-O-hexoside, galloyl-shikimic acid, galloylquinic acid, and gallic acid in tannin fraction. PGH-extract was an un-competitive inhibitor against porcine pancreatic lipase so that its IC50 value was 2.26 mg/ml. In the same phenol amount (490 µg), anti-lipase activity of the tannin fraction was also more than non-tannin fraction and crude PGH-extract. This is probably due to the presence of some active polyphenolic compounds such as gallic acid. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Pistachio is native to the arid regions of Central and West Asia including Iran. The green hull is main by-product of pistachio industry that has numerous phenolic compounds. Our results showed that the pistachio green hull extract has antioxidant and anti-lipase activity and these activities in its tannin fraction were higher than non-tannin fraction. Therefore, the PGH extract and its tannin fraction can be used as potential substitutes of anti-obesity drugs. This allows the use of pistachio processing waste and reduces the amount of waste.

Manufacturing of nanoliposomal extract from Sargassum boveanum algae and investigating its release behavior and antioxidant activity.

In this paper, the fabrication of algal extract-loaded nanoliposomes was optimized based on the central composite response surface design. Different concentrations of phenolic compounds (500, 1,000, and 1,500 ppm) of algal extract and lecithin (0.5, 1.25, and 2% w/w) were applied for preparation of nanoliposomes at process temperatures of 30, 50, and 70°C. Dependent variables were zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, size, and particle size distribution. The particle size of the loaded nanoliposomes ranged from 86.6 to 118.7 nm and zeta potential from -37.3 to -50.7 mV. The optimal conditions were as follows: 0.5% lecithin, 30°C process temperature, and 1,313 ppm of the phenolic compounds extracted from algae. Under these conditions, the experimental entrapment efficiency of the phenolic compounds was 45.5 ± 1.2%. FTIR analysis has verified the encapsulation of algal extract in nanoliposomes. Algal extract phenolic compounds also increased phase transition temperature (Tc) of nanoliposomes (1.6°C to 6.3°C). Moreover, the thermo-oxidative protection of nanoliposomes for the algal extract has been proved by examining the DSC thermograms. It has been demonstrated that the formulated nanoliposomes have a good stability during storage conditions, and they are able to control the release of phenolic compounds at different pH values. During the encapsulation process, the antioxidant activity of the algal extract has been maintained to an acceptable level. Consequently, algal extract-loaded nanoliposomes can be used as a natural antioxidant in lipid-based foods.