Bioshell calcium oxide (BiSCaO) for cleansing and healing Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected wounds in hairless rats.

BACKGROUND: Scallop shell powder is called bioshell calcium oxide (BiSCaO), which is known to possess deodorizing properties and broad antimicrobial activity against various pathogenic microbes, including viruses, bacteria, spores, and fungi. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the applications of BiSCaO suspension cleansing in clinical situations, for instance for the prevention and treatment of infections in chronic wounds in healing-impaired patients, without delaying wound healing. METHODS: The bactericidal activities of 1000 ppm BiSCaO suspension; 500 ppm hypochlorous acid; 1000 ppm povidone iodine; and saline were compared to evaluate in vivo disinfection and healing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected wounds in hairless rats. RESULTS: Cleansing of the infected wounds with BiSCaO suspension daily for 3 days significantly enhanced wound healing and reduced the in vivo bacterial counts, in comparison to hypochlorous acid, povidone iodine, and saline. Furthermore, histological examinations showed significantly advanced granulation tissue and capillary formation in the wounds cleansed with BiSCaO suspension than in those cleansed with the other solutions. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that the possibility of using BiSCaO suspension as a disinfectant for infected wounds and limiting disinfection to 3 days may be sufficient to avoid the negative effects on wound repair.

A novel approach for fast and simple determination pyrrolizidine alkaloids in herbs by ultrasound-assisted dispersive solid phase extraction method coupled to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are secondary plant metabolites witch can contaminate food, especially herbs. Due to the fact that alkaloids have a strong adverse effect on human health, it is necessary to use sensitive and selective detection methods. In present study a modified method based on LC-MS/MS was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of thirty pyrrolizidine alkaloids and their corresponding N-oxides (PANOs) in herbs samples. Sample extraction was based on ultrasound-assisted dispersive solid phase extraction and clean-up using graphene. Method validation showed that the proposed method hold good recoveries (61-128 %) for PAs/PANOs with RSD <15 %. Limits of quantification has been set at 1 µg kg-1 level for all targeted alkaloids. The optimized method yielded a small matrix effect (-20-20 %) for most PAs/PANOs. The uncertainty associated with the analytical method was not higher than 38 %. The method is operationally simple, time-saving, and can be applied to the analysis of real herb samples.

Pseudolycorine N-oxide, a new N-oxide from Narcissus tazetta.

A new N-oxide, Pseudolycorine N-oxide (1) was characterised along with eleven known alkaloids homolycorine (2), O-methylmaritidine (3), 8-O-demethylhomolycorine (4), homolycorine N-oxide (5), lycorine (6), narciclasine (7), pseudolycorine (8), ungeremine (9), 8-O-demethylmaritidine (10), zefbetaine (11) and lycorine N-oxide (12), from Narcissus tazetta. Their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic data analysis. The extract, fractions and isolated compounds were screened for in vitro cytotoxicity against two human cancer cell lines, human cervical cancer (SiHa) and human epidermoid carcinoma (KB) cells. The study demonstrated the cytotoxic potential of extract and its chloroform and n-butanol fractions. Further, the results revealed the bioactive potential of narciclasine, pseudolycorine and homolycorine alkaloids. However, new N-oxide (1) was not active against these cell lines.

A new erythrinan N-oxide alkaloid from Erythrina stricta.

This phytochemical study of stems and leaves of Erythrina stricta led to the isolation of twenty-three alkaloids, one of them previously unreported, 11ß-hydroxyerythratidine N-oxide. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses including HSQC, HMBC, 1H-1H COSY, NOESY, as well as HRESIMS data in addition to comparison with reports in the literature.

[Influence of Hydraulic Retention Time on the Treatment of Polluted River Water by an Activated Carbon Rotating Biological Contactor].

The study combined activated carbon with a rotating biological contactor. The activated carbon adsorption experiments were conducted and the biofilm was formed by using the river water directly. The effects of different hydraulic retention times on the removal of NH4+-N, TP, and permanganate index and on the biofilm properties were investigated at the optimum rotational speed of the disc. Experimental results are as follows. The Freundlich isotherm showed that activated carbon had better adsorption properties for NH4+-N, TP, and permanganate index in water.When the disk speed was 3 r·min-1, the removal efficiency was the best, and the removal rates of NH4+-N, TP and permanganate index were the best at 86.05%, 81.28%, and 77.09%, respectively. In addition, there was a significant linear correlation between the hydraulic retention time and the removal of NH4+-N and TP (R2>0.9), respectively. The removal rates of NH4+-N and TP at different hydraulic retention times were significantly different (P<0.05), but the permanganate index was not (P>0.05).Hydraulic retention time had effects on the biofilm activity, protein and polysaccharide contents,and the three-dimensional fluorescence peaks of S-EPS, LB-EPS, and TB-EPS of the biofilm.

[Purification of Slightly Salt-alkaline Water Bodies by Microorganism Enhanced Combined Floating Bed].

In order to study the purifying effect of combined floating bed constucted by salinity plant Suaeda salsa and microorganisms on the slightly salt-alkaline water, blank floating bed A, S.salsa floating bed B, microbes floating bed C and S.salsa + microorganisms combined floating bed D were established, and slightly salt-alkaline eutrophic water body (pH 8.5-9.0, salinity 5‰-7‰) was purified under continuous flow conditions in the laboratory. Results showed that the removal rates of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, permanganate index by S.salsa floating bed were 32.5%, 14.3% and 28.2%, respectively. And the removal rates of total nitrogen, total phosphorus and permanganate index by S.salsa + microorganisms combined floating bed D which installed artificial medium with microorganisms reached 70.5%, 34.7% and 70.8%, respectively, of which the removal rates of total nitrogen, total phosphorus and permanganate index by microbial units were 37.7%, 21.6% and 44.5%, respectively. Synergies removal rates of nitrate nitrogen and total nitrogen by S.salsa + microorganisms combined floating bed were 12.2% and 0.3%, but there was no synergy in the process of removing ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorus and permanganate index, which indicated that the synergies of S.salsa and microorganisms in the combined floating bed were suppressed in slightly salt-alkaline environment. The high-throughput sequencing technique was adopted to analyze the microbial community in the floating bed C and D, which indicated that the abundance and diversity of microbial community in the combined floating bed were higher, and this was consistent with the result of the higher removal rate of the flotation bed D. Principal component analysis showed that the microbial degradation was a major factor in reducing the concentration of pollutants. This study provided a guide for the using of floating bed in purifying slightly salt-alkaline eutrophic water bodies in coastal area.

Medicinal plants of Papua New Guinea's Miu speaking population and a focus on their use of plant-slaked lime mixtures.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Here we present the results of an ethnobotanical survey of the medicinal plants used by the Miu, a virtually unresearched ethnolinguistic group who live in the mountainous interior of Papua New Guinea's West New Britain Province. We compare the findings for those previously reported for the neighbouring inland Kaulong speaking population. Three species, Trema orientalis, Spondias dulcis and Ficus botryocarpa are used in combination with locally prepared slaked lime to produce intensely coloured mixtures which are applied to dermatological infections. Their effects on dermal fibroblast viability with and without slaked lime are examined. The sap of F. botryocarpa which is used to treat tropical ulcers was examined further with assays relevant to wound healing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were used to acquire information on the uses of plants, vouchers of which were collected and identified by comparison with authentic herbarium specimens. LC-MS and NMR were used to identify chemical components. Cell viability assays were used to examine the effects of added slaked lime on dermal fibroblasts. For the sap of F. botryocarpa, fibroblast stimulation assays and antibacterial growth inhibition with Bacillus subtilis were carried out. RESULTS: The survey identified 33 plants and one fungal species, and clear differences with the inland Kaulong group despite their close proximity. Added slaked lime does not greatly increase the cytotoxicity of plant material towards dermal fibroblasts. The sap of F. botryocarpa contains the alkaloid ficuseptine as a single major component and displays antibacterial activity. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate the potential for variation in medicinal plant use amongst Papua New Guinea's numerous language groups. The addition of slaked lime to plant material does not appear to present a concern for wound healing in the amounts used. The sap of F. botryocarpa displays antibacterial activity at concentrations that would occur at the wound surface and could be used as a highly accessible alternative to conventional antiseptics for remote communities in Papua New Guinea.

Uranyl ion extraction with conventional PUREX/TRUEX ligands assessed by electroanalytical chemistry at micro liquid/liquid interfaces.

The facilitated ion transfer (FIT) of uranyl or dioxouranium (UO(2)(2+)) was studied electrochemically using a micro interface between two immiscible electrolytic solutions (micro-ITIES) in order to evaluate the complexation stoichiometry and complexation constants (ß) of two widely used ligands in spent fuel reprocessing: tributylphosphate (TBP) and octyl(phenyl)-N,N-diisobutylcarbamoylmethyl-phosphine oxide (CMPO). For the first time, discrete interfacial complexation reaction steps of varying uranyl to the two ligands ratios were resolved using the micro-ITIES hosted at the tip of a 25 µm diameter glass capillary. Two stoichiometries for UO(2)NO(3)TBP(n)(+) were determined including n = 3 and 4 with ß values of 3.2 × 10(11) and 3.9 × 10(13), respectively. Subsequently, three distinct complexation reactions of CMPO with UO(2)(2+) were discovered corresponding to UO(2)NO(3)CMPO(2)(+), UO(2)NO(3)CMPO(3)(+), and UO(2)CMPO(5)(2+) whose respective complexation constants were determined to be 8.0 × 10(11), 8.8 × 10(14), and 6.5 × 10(32). The participation of nitrate anions in these complexation reactions is also discussed.

Extraction of alumina and sodium oxide from red mud by a mild hydro-chemical process.

A mild hydro-chemical process to extract Al(2)O(3) in red mud to produce sodium aluminate hydrate was investigated, and the optimum conditions of Al(2)O(3) extraction were verified by experiments as leaching in 45% NaOH solution with CaO-to-red mud mass ratio of 0.25 and liquid-to-solid ratio of 0.9, under 0.8 MPa at 200 degrees C for 3.5h. Subsequent process of extracting Na(2)O from the residue of Al(2)O(3) extraction was carried out in 7% NaOH solution with liquid-to-solid ratio of 3.8 under 0.9 MPa at 170 degrees C for 2h. Overall, 87.8% of Al(2)O(3) and 96.4% of Na(2)O were extracted from red mud. The final residues with less than 1% Na(2)O could be utilized as feedstock in construction materials. The chemical reactions taking place in both Al(2)O(3) and Na(2)O extractions from red mud are proposed.

Kinetic analysis of the antifungal activity of heated scallop-shell powder against Trichophyton and its possible application to the treatment of dermatophytosis.

The antifungal activity of scallop-shell powder heated at 1000 degrees C for 1 h against Trichophyton was kinetically investigated and the possibility of applying the powder to the treatment of dermatophytosis was examined. The death rate of T. mentagrophytes NBRC5466 in the heated shell powder slurry increased with powder concentration, following first-order reaction kinetics. Elevated slurry temperatures increased both the apparent first-order death rate constant (k) and the dilution coefficient (n) representing the dependence of k on reagent concentration. The activation energy for the death of NBRC5466 was almost equal to that for bacteria, whereas the n value was much smaller than that for bacteria. In addition, the trial using heated shell powder treatment on feet showed the possibility of its application to treat dermatophytosis.

Phosphorus retention in filter materials for wastewater treatment and its subsequent suitability for plant production.

Constructed sand filter beds are advantageous for the treatment of wastewater in areas with a low population density. Phosphorus-sorbing materials with additional beneficial characteristics may be used instead of sand. This study aimed at determining and comparing phosphorus (P) retention capacities of amorphous and crystalline blast furnace slags, limestone, opoka, Polonite and sand, for filtering domestic wastewater through columns over a period of 67 weeks. The P-enriched filter materials were subsequently tested for their fertilizer effectiveness in a pot experiment where barley was cultivated. Polonite, i.e. calcinated bedrock opoka, was most effective in removing P. This occurred at a relatively high hydraulic conductivity that reduced the risk of clogging. Barley grown in two types of slag, with a grain size of 0.25-4 mm, was most effective in dry matter production followed by Polonite. Fine-grained slags and Polonite were suggested as most suited of the investigated materials to recycle P back to agriculture.

Comparison of the ammonium oxalate extraction of fertilizer for K2O, method 983.02, with the ammonium citrate/EDTA extraction, method 993.31.

The direct available method for phosphorus in fertilizers, Method 960.03, is an Official Method for extraction of both P2O5 and K2O. Because K2O is much more soluble and easier to extract than P2O5, the conditions of the extraction procedure are set for efficient extraction of P2O5, and the extraction of K2O is, in effect, a bonus. In 1993, a modified extraction procedure, using an extractant of ammonium citrate/ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) solution, was evaluated for P2O5 and then collaboratively studied. This now-modified extraction procedure for phosphorus is Official Method 993.31, which is used extensively as an alternative to Method 960.03 for phosphorus because it is less labor-intensive. Method 993.31 was also evaluated in our laboratory for K2O extraction, but it was never formally collaboratively studied for K2O. To demonstrate the suitability of Method 993.31 as an extraction procedure for K2O, as well as P2O5 in fertilizers, Method 993.31 extraction for K2O was compared with Method 983.02, the traditional ammonium oxalate extraction procedure for K2O. A wide range of fertilizer samples was extracted by using both procedures. The t-test for samples containing < 30% K2O had a t-value of 1.23 and a probability of 0.22, which indicates there was no significant difference in the results obtained by the 2 extraction methods. The t-test for samples containing > 30% K2O had a t-value of 0.30 and a probability of 0.77, also indicating no significant difference. It is recommended that Method 983.02 be modified to include the ammonium citrate/EDTA extraction procedure as an additional option for extraction of K2O from commercial fertilizers.

Presence of phytosterol oxides in crude vegetable oils and their fate during refining.

The content of phytosterol oxidation products was determined in samples of crude vegetable oils: peanut, sunflower, maize, palm nut, and lampante olive oils that were intended for refining and not for direct consumption. The 7 alpha- and 7 beta-hydroxy derivatives of beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol and the 7-keto-beta-sitosterol were the principal phytosterol oxides found in almost all of the oils analyzed. In some oils, the epoxy and dihydroxy derivatives of beta-sitosterol were also found at very low levels. The highest total concentrations of phytosterol oxides, ranging from 4.5 to 67.5 and from 4.1 to 60.1 ppm, were found in sunflower and maize oils, respectively. Lower concentrations were present in the peanut oils, 2.7-9.6 ppm, and in the palm nut oil, 5.5 ppm, whereas in the lampante olive oils, only three samples of the six analyzed contained a low concentration (1.5-2.5 ppm) of oxyphytosterols. No detectable levels of phytosterol oxides were found in the samples of palm and coconut oils. Bleaching experiments were carried out on a sample of sunflower oil at 80 degrees C for 1 h with 1 and 2% of both acidic and neutral earths. The bleaching caused a reduction of the hydroxyphytosterol with partial formation of steroidal hydrocarbons with three double bonds in the ring system at the 2-, 4-, and 6-positions (steratrienes). The same sunflower oil was deodorized at 180 degrees C under vacuum for 1 h, and no dehydration products were formed with a complete recovery of the hydroxyphytosterols. A bleaching test with acidic earths was carried out also with an extra virgin olive oil fortified with 7-keto-cholesterol, dihydroxycholesterol, and alpha-epoxy-cholesterol. There was no formation of steratrienes from these compounds, but dihydroxycholesterol underwent considerable decomposition and alpha-epoxycholesterol underwent ring opening with formation of the dihydroxy derivative, whereas 7-ketocholesterol was rather stable

Two new epimeric isopavine N-oxides from Meconopsis horridula var. racemosa.

Two new epimeric isopavine N-oxides, amuresinine N-oxide A (1) and B (2), were isolated from Meconopsis horridula var. racemosa. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods.

Cartorimine, a new cycloheptenone oxide derivative from Carthamus tinctorius.

Cartorimine (1), a new cycloheptenone oxide derivative, was isolated from Carthamus tinctorius, and its structure was established from spectral data interpretation and single-crystal X-ray analysis.

Preparation and characterization of ZCAP blends.

Six different blends of zinc oxide, calcium oxide, phosphorous pentoxide (ZCAP) were prepared by mixing zinc oxide (ZnO), calcium oxide (CaO), and phosphorous pentoxide (P2O5) powders. The blends were 50:30:20, 48:32:20, 44:26:30, 40:40:20, 30:40:30, and 30:30:40, ZnO:CaO:P2O5 by weight, respectively. The mixed powders were calcined at 800 degrees C for 12 hours. Each blend was then characterized using X-ray diffraction. The X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that in some cases the reaction between oxides may not have gone to completion. Compositions of beta-3CaO.P2O5 and alpha-CaZn2(PO4)2 were found in many of the blends.