Co-pyrolysis of microalgae and other biomass wastes for the production of high-quality bio-oil: Progress and prospective.

Microalgae are the most prospective raw materials for the production of biofuels, pyrolysis is an effective method to convert biomass into bioenergy. However, biofuels derived from the pyrolysis of microalgae exhibit poor fuel properties due to high content of moisture and protein. Co-pyrolysis is a simple and efficient method to produce high-quality bio-oil from two or more materials. Tires, plastics, and bamboo waste are the optimal co-feedstocks based on the improvement of yield and quality of bio-oil. Moreover, adding catalysts, especially CaO and Cu/HZSM-5, can enhance the quality of bio-oil by increasing aromatics content and decreasing oxygenated and nitrogenous compounds. Consequently, this paper provides a critical review of the production of bio-oil from co-pyrolysis of microalgae with other biomass wastes. Meanwhile, the underlying mechanism of synergistic effects and the catalytic effect on co-pyrolysis are discussed. Finally, the economic viability and prospects of microalgae co-pyrolysis are summarized.

Effects of fish oil supplementation on glucose control and lipid levels among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have yielded inconsistent findings on the role of fish oil in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We systematically summarized the available evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCT) and aimed to investigate the effects of fish oil supplementation on glucose control and lipid levels among patients with T2DM. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed in electronic databases (PubMed, ProQuest, Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang) to identify all relevant RCTs which were published up to May 31st, 2019. We used Modified Jadad Score system to evaluate the quality of each included RCT. The pooled effects were estimated using random-effects model and presented as standardized mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: A total of 12 RCTs were included in this meta-analysis. There was no significant difference in glucose control outcomes comparing fish oil supplementation to placebo. The effect size of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was 0.13 (95% CI: - 0.03 to 0.28, p > 0.05). No marked change was observed in fasting insulin (FINS), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and HOMA of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels. Fish oil supplementation was associated with a decrease of triglyceride (TG) level by - 0.40 (95%CI: - 0.53 to - 0.28, p < 0.05), and an increase of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level by 0.21 (95%CI: 0.05 to 0.37, p < 0.05). In subgroup analysis, HDL cholesterol level was higher among Asian and low-dose(< 2 g/d n-3 PUFA) subgroups compared to their counterparts (p < 0.05). TG level was lower in mid and long duration groups, along with an inconspicuous difference in short duration group. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis shows that among patients with T2DM, fish oil supplementation leads to a favorable blood lipids profile but does not improve glucose control.

[Analysis of microbial community of heat resistant microorganisms in Chinese herbal pieces].

To investigate the composition and diversity of heat resistant microorganisms in contaminated Chinese herbal pieces. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) protein fingerprinting and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing of Illumina Miseq were used to analyze the heat resistant microbial community of 9 varieties of Chinese herbal pieces. Stem pieces (Spatholobi Caulis, Tetrapanacis Medulla, Stachyuri Medulla) showed highest detection rate and most species of contaminants; However fruit pieces (Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus) had the lowest detection rate and least species of contaminants; among root pieces, the detection rate and number of contaminants species were lower in Tuber Dioscoreae Persimilis and Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata. The heat resistant microbial community was mainly of Bacillaceae and Paenibacillaceae, and Bacillus showed the highest detection rate among them, followed by Brevibacillus, Paenibacillus, and Solibacillus. The rest genus in high-throughput sequencing analysis included Enterobacter, Brevundimonas, Leuconostoc, Methylobacterium, Dechloromonas, Pantoea, Klebsiella, and Erwinia. There were potential risk factors in heat resistant microbial community of Chinese herbal pieces, so we shall improve the microbial limit standard, strictly control the pathogenic bacteria in the product, and strengthen the supervision and management in production and circulation of Chinese herbal pieces.

Association of coffee consumption with risk of colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

A meta-analysis was performed to assess the association of coffee consumption with colorectal cancer and to investigate the shape of the association. Relevant prospective cohort studies were identified by a comprehensive search of the PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases from their inception through August 2015. Either a random-effects model or fixed-effects model was used to compute the pooled risk estimates when appropriate. Linear and nonlinear dose-response meta-analyses were also performed. Nineteen prospective cohort studies involving 2,046,575 participants and 22,629 patients with colorectal cancer were included. The risk of colon cancer was decreased by 7% for every 4 cups per day of coffee (RR=0.93, 95%CI, 0.88-0.99; P=0.199). There was a threshold approximately five cups of coffee per day, and the inverse association for colorectal cancer appeared to be stronger at a higher range of intake. However, a nonlinear association of rectal cancer with coffee consumption was not observed (P for nonlinearity = 0.214). In conclusion, coffee consumption is significantly associated with a decreased risk of colorectal cancer at ≥ 5 cups per day of coffee consumption. The findings support the recommendations of including coffee as a healthy beverage for the prevention of colorectal cancer.

Coffee consumption and the risk of gastric cancer: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

BACKGROUND: Several observational studies suggest that coffee consumption may be associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer, but the results are inconsistent. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the relationship of coffee consumption with gastric cancer risk and quantify the dose-response relationship between them. METHODS: Relevant prospective studies were identified by a search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science to May 2015 and by reviewing the references of retrieved articles. Two independent reviewers extracted data and performed the quality assessment. A random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled risk estimates and 95 % confidence intervals (CI). The heterogeneity was assessed using the I (2) statistic. Publication bias was assessed by using funnel plot, the Begg test and the Egger test. RESULTS: Thirteen prospective cohort studies with 20 independent reports involving 3,368 patients with gastric cancer and 1,372,811 participants during a follow-up period ranging from 4.3-8 years were included. Compared with the lowest consumption level of coffee, the pooled relative risk (RR) was 1.13 (95 % CI: 0.94-1.35). The dose-response analysis indicated that, the RR of gastric cancer was 1.03 (95 % CI; 0.95-1.11) for per 3 cups/day of coffee consumption. Any nonlinear association of gastric cancer risk with coffee consumption was not found (P for nonlinearity = 0.68). Subgroup analyses indicated that the pooled RR for participants from the United States comparing the highest with the lowest coffee consumption was 1.36 (95 % CI, 1.06-1.75, I (2) = 0 %). In addition, people with higher coffee consumption was associated with 25 % higher risk of gastric cancer in equal to or less than 10 years follow-up group (RR = 1.25; 95 % CI, 1.01-1.55, I (2) = 0 %). Visual inspection of a funnel plot and the Begg's and the Egger's tests did not indicate evidence of publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis does not support the hypothesis that coffee consumption is associated with the risk of gastric cancer. The increased risk of gastric cancer for participants from the United States and equal to or less than 10 years follow-up group associated with coffee consumption warrant further studies.

Tea consumption and the risk of depression: a meta-analysis of observational studies.

OBJECTIVE: Whether tea consumption decreases the risk of depression remains controversial. We performed a meta-analysis of findings from observational studies to evaluate the association between tea consumption and depression risk. METHOD: Embase, PubMed, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were searched from their inception through August 2014 for observational studies that had reported the association between tea consumption and depression risk. We used a fixed effects model when heterogeneity was negligible and a random effect model when heterogeneity was significant to calculate the summary relative risk estimates (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Eleven studies with 13 reports were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis (22,817 participants with 4,743 cases of depression). Compared to individuals with lower tea consumption, those with higher tea consumption had a pooled RR of depression risk at 0.69 (95% CI: 0.63-0.75). Eight reports were included in the dose-response analysis of tea consumption and depression risk (10,600 participants with 2,107 cases). There was a linear association between tea consumption and the risk of depression, with an increment of 3 cups/day in tea consumption associated with a decrease in the risk of depression of 37% (RR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.55-0.71). CONCLUSION: Tea consumption is associated with a decreased risk of depression.

Clearance of free silica in rat lungs by spraying with chinese herbal kombucha.

The effects of spraying with kombucha and Chinese herbal kombucha were compared with treatments with tetrandrine in a rat silicosis model. Silica dust (50 mg) was injected into the lungs of rats, which were then treated with one of the experimental treatments for a month. The rats were then killed and the effects of the treatments were evaluated by examining the extent and severity of the histopathological lesions in the animals' lungs, measuring their organ coefficients and lung collagen contents, determining the dry and wet weights of their lungs, and measuring the free silica content of the dried lungs. In addition, lavage was performed on whole lungs taken from selected rats, and the numbers and types of cells in the lavage fluid were counted. The most effective treatment in terms of the ability to reduce lung collagen content and minimize the formation of pulmonary histopathological lesions was tetrandrine treatment, followed by Chinese herbal kombucha and non-Chinese herbal kombucha. However, the lavage fluid cell counts indicated that tetrandrine treatment had severe adverse effects on macrophage viability. This effect was much less pronounced for the kombucha and Chinese herbal kombucha treatments. Moreover, the free silica levels in the lungs of animals treated with Chinese herbal kombucha were significantly lower than those for any other silica-exposed group. These preliminary results indicate that spraying with Chinese herbal kombucha preparations can effectively promote the discharge of silica dust from lung tissues. Chinese herbal kombucha inhalation may thus be a useful new treatment for silicosis and other pneumoconiosis diseases.

Effect of poly (ethylene oxide)-poly (propylene oxide)-poly (ethylene oxide) micelles on pharmacokinetics and intestinal toxicity of irinotecan hydrochloride: potential involvement of breast cancer resistance protein (ABCG2).

OBJECTIVES: Intestinal toxicity and low levels of systemic drug exposure are among the major problems associated with tumour therapy. We have developed poly (ethylene oxide)-poly (propylene oxide)-poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) micelles loaded with irinotecan hydrochloride (CPT-11) hoping to decrease CPT-11-induced intestinal toxicity while increasing its systemic exposure. In addition, we have investigated the potential involvement of breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) in biliary excretion, pharmacokinetics, and intestinal toxicity of CPT-11. METHODS: PEO-PPO-PEO micelles were prepared using PEO(20)-PPO(70)-PEO(20) and lecithin. The effect of PEO-PPO-PEO micelles on BCRP-mediated cellular accumulation and transport efflux of CPT-11 was evaluated in MDCKII/BCRP cells. The biliary excretion, intestinal damage, and pharmacokinetic study of CPT-11-loaded PEO-PPO-PEO micelles were investigated in rats. KEY FINDINGS: The obtained micelles could effectively inhibit BCRP-mediated CPT-11 efflux in MDCKII/BCRP cells, and significantly decrease the drug biliary excretion in rats. Moreover, intestinal toxicity, assessed by microscopic examination of pathological damage, was ameliorated in rats injected with PEO-PPO-PEO micelles compared with rats injected with CPT-11 alone. Treatment with PEO-PPO-PEO micelles resulted in prolonged circulation time in blood and increased bioavailability of CPT-11 and SN-38 (7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin). CONCLUSIONS: PEO-PPO-PEO micelles were identified as promising carriers able to reduce intestinal toxicity and increase antitumour therapeutic effect of CPT-11. The study indicated a potential involvement of BCRP in CPT-11 pharmacokinetics and CPT-11-induced intestinal toxicity.

Novel microemulsion in situ electrolyte-triggered gelling system for ophthalmic delivery of lipophilic cyclosporine A: in vitro and in vivo results.

The objective of the present study was to design a novel microemulsion in situ electrolyte-triggered gelling system for ophthalmic delivery of a lipophilic drug, cyclosporine A (CsA). A CsA-loaded microemulsion was prepared using castor oil, Solutol HS 15 (surfactant), glycerol and water. This microemulsion was then dispersed in a Kelcogel solution to form the final microemulsion in situ electrolyte-triggered gelling system. In vitro, the viscosity of the CsA microemulsion Kelcogel system increased dramatically on dilution with artificial tear fluid and exhibited pseudo-plastic rheology. In vivo results revealed that the AUC(0-->32 h) of corneal CsA for the microemulsion Kelcogel system was approximately three-fold greater than for a CsA emulsion. Moreover, at 32 h after administration, CsA concentrations delivered by the microemulsion Kelcogel system remained at therapeutic levels in the cornea. This CsA microemulsion in situ electrolyte-triggered gelling system might provide an alternative approach to deliver prolonged precorneal residence time of CsA for preventing cornea allograft rejection.