Evaluation of the yield, chemical composition and biological properties of essential oil from bioreactor-grown cultures of Salvia apiana microshoots.

Microshoot cultures of the North American endemic Salvia apiana were established for the first time and evaluated for essential oil production. Stationary cultures, grown on Schenk-Hildebrandt (SH) medium, supplemented with 0.22 mg/L thidiazuron (TDZ), 2.0 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine and 3.0% (w/v) sucrose, accumulated 1.27% (v/m dry weight) essential oil, consisting mostly of 1,8-cineole, ß-pinene, α-pinene, ß-myrcene and camphor. The microshoots were adapted to agitated culture, showing biomass yields up to ca. 19 g/L. Scale-up studies demonstrated that S. spiana microshoots grow well in temporary immersion systems (TIS). In the RITA bioreactor, up to 19.27 g/L dry biomass was obtained, containing 1.1% oil with up to ca. 42% cineole content. The other systems employed, i.e. Plantform (TIS) and a custom made spray bioreactor (SGB), yielded ca. 18 and 19 g/L dry weight, respectively. The essential oil content of Plantform and SGB-grown microshoots was comparable to RITA bioreactor, however, the content of cineole was substantially higher (ca. 55%). Oil samples isolated from in vitro material proved to be active in acetylcholinesterase (up to 60.0% inhibition recorded for Plantform-grown microshoots), as well as hyaluronidase and tyrosinase-inhibitory assays (up to 45.8 and 64.5% inhibition observed in the case of the SGB culture).

The influence of Nigella sativa essential oil on proliferation, activation, and apoptosis of human T lymphocytes in vitro.

In previous work, we tested the immunomodulatory effect of Nigella sativa (NS) fatty oil. Our results demonstrated that unrefined, obtained by cold pressing black cumin seed oil inhibited lymphocytes' proliferation and induced their apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. In this study, we examined the immunomodulatory properties of essential oil (EO) obtained from the NS seeds by hydrodistillation and its two main constituents: thymoquinone (TQ) and p-cymene. We analyzed the proliferation, activation phenotype, and apoptosis rates of human T lymphocytes stimulated with an immobilized monoclonal anti-CD3 antibody in the presence of serial ethanol dilutions of tested oil or serial distilled water dilutions of tested compounds with flow cytometry. Our results showed that NSEO significantly inhibited the proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, induced cell death in a dose-dependent manner, and reduced the expression of CD28 and CD25 antigens essential for lymphocyte activation. TQ inhibited the proliferation of T lymphocytes and induced cell death, particularly in high concentrations. Meanwhile, p-cymene did not influence lymphocyte proliferation. However, its high concentration induced cell necrosis. These results show that the essential oil from Nigella sativa has powerful immunomodulatory properties, which, at least partially, are related to the TQ component.

Monitoring the BTEX Volatiles during 3D Printing with Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) Using Electronic Nose and Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry.

We describe a concept study in which the changes of concentration of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) compounds and styrene within a 3D printer enclosure during printing with different acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filaments were monitored in real-time using a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer and an electronic nose. The quantitative data on the concentration of the BTEX compounds, in particular the concentration of carcinogenic benzene, were then used as reference values for assessing the applicability of an array of low-cost electrochemical sensors in monitoring the exposure of the users of consumer-grade fused deposition modelling 3D printers to potentially harmful volatiles. Using multivariate statistical analysis and machine learning, it was possible to determine whether a set threshold limit value for the concentration of BTEX was exceeded with a 0.96 classification accuracy and within a timeframe of 5 min based on the responses of the chemical sensors.

Indoor air quality of everyday use spaces dedicated to specific purposes-a review.

According to literature data, some of the main factors which significantly affect the quality of the indoor environment in residential households or apartments are human activities such as cooking, smoking, cleaning, and indoor exercising. The paper presents a literature overview related to air quality in everyday use spaces dedicated to specific purposes which are integral parts of residential buildings, such as kitchens, basements, and individual garages. Some aspects of air quality in large-scale car parks, as a specific type of indoor environment, are also discussed. All those areas are characterized by relatively short time use. On the other hand, high and very high concentration levels of xenobiotics can be observed, resulting in higher exposure risk. The main compounds or group of chemical compounds are presented and discussed. The main factors influencing the type and amount of chemical pollutants present in the air of such areas are indicated.

Determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in house dust using standard addition method and gas chromatography with electron capture and mass spectrometric detection.

Monitoring of the environmental fate of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) involves determination of their concentration in air, airborne particles and settled dust. This requires the implementation of appropriate analytical tools like measuring instruments, reference materials and analytical procedures. In this study an analytical procedure was developed for determining PBDEs in samples with a complex matrix composition. The efficiencies of three different extraction techniques - Soxhlet extraction (SE), Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE) and Ultrasound Assisted Extraction (UAE) - were compared. The study investigated the possibility of using the standard addition method for estimating PBDEs levels. The GC-µECD system was successfully applied as an alternative to low resolution mass spectrometry (LRMS) for determining BDE-209 in dust samples. The developed analytical procedure was then used to analyze dust samples, collected from houses and computer suites in the Tri-city area (Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot), in order to detect and quantify the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the indoor environment. Concentrations of studied congeners (from triBDE to heptaBDE), obtained by chromatographic analysis of dust samples extracts, performed applying two measurement systems (GC-EIMS and GC-µECD) ranged between 331 and 3102 ng g(-1) for house dust and between

Measurement of benzene concentration in urban air using passive sampling.

The concentration of benzene in urban air in the Tri-City area of Poland (Gdansk-Sopot-Gdynia, and Tczew) was assessed using diffusive passive samplers (Radiello). Samples were collected during a four-year monitoring campaign (2007-2010) at selected monitoring stations managed by the Agency of Regional Air Quality Monitoring in the Gdansk Metropolitan Area (ARMAAG) Foundation. The performance of the passive samplers was investigated in a field study that measured the benzene concentration in urban air. The results obtained by the Radiello samplers were compared with the results obtained using an on-line monitor (Chrompack CP 7001). Statistical analysis of the results obtained by the two different techniques (passive and on-line) was performed by a linear regression method (Student's t-test). The influence of temperature fluctuations on the uptake rate behavior of the passive samplers was also investigated.

Spatial and seasonal patterns of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes in the Gdansk, Poland and surrounding areas determined using radiello passive samplers.

Atmospheric concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) were assessed in the Gdansk-Sopot-Gdynia Tricity area and in the city of Tczew using diffusive-type Radiello passive samplers. Samples were collected at the monitoring stations belonging to the Agency of Regional Air Quality Monitoring Foundation. The results indicated that the BTEX concentrations measured in the urban air in the Tricity area and in Tczew were dependent on the season, being somewhat higher in winter and spring than in summer. Maps of BTEX pollution in the Tricity and in Tczew were prepared by interpolating the results for the areas between the sampling points covering the mapped areas. This allowed the assessment of time-weighted average concentrations of the compounds studied at locations where measurements were not made.

Sample preparation for gas chromatographic determination of halogenated volatile organic compounds in environmental and biological samples.

In this review, the wide spectrum of the techniques of isolation and/or preconcentration and final determination of halogenated volatile organic compounds (HVOCs) in water, air, soil, sediment and biological fluids are presented and discussed. The techniques discussed are solvent microextraction, solid phase extraction, gas extraction (static and dynamic techniques), membrane processes and passive sampling. Also, direct techniques, such as direct aqueous injection into gas chromatography (GC) column and membrane inlet mass spectrometry, are presented. Main attention is paid to the practical application of these techniques during all HVOCs determination.