Immune Enhancement Effects of Codium fragile Anionic Macromolecules Combined with Red Ginseng Extract in Immune-Suppressed Mice.

Codium fragile is an edible seaweed in Asian countries that has been used as a thrombolytic, anticoagulant, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-stimulatory agent. Ginseng has also been known to maintain immune homeostasis and to regulate the immune system via enhancing resistance to diseases and microorganisms. In this study, anionic macromolecules extracted from C. fragile (CFAM) were orally administered with red ginseng extract (100 mg/kg body weight) to cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed male BALB/c mice to investigate the immune-enhancing cooperative effect of Codium fragile and red ginseng. Our results showed that supplementing CFAM with red ginseng extract significantly increased spleen index, T- and B-cell proliferation, NK cell activity, and splenic lymphocyte immuneassociated gene expression compared to those with red ginseng alone, even though a high concentration of CFAM with red ginseng decreased immune biomarkers. These results suggest that CFAM can be used as a co-stimulant to enhance health and immunity in immunosuppressed conditions.

Anion separations with pressure-assisted capillary electrophoresis using a sequential injection analysis manifold and contactless conductivity detection.

It is demonstrated that a hydrodynamic flow superimposed on the mobility of analyte anions can be used for the optimization of analysis time in capillary zone electrophoresis. It was also possible to use the approach for counter-balancing the electroosmotic flow and this works as well as the use of surface modifiers. To avoid any band-broadening due to the bulk flow narrow capillaries of 10 µm internal diameter were employed. This was enabled by the use of capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection, which does not suffer from the downscaling, and detection down to between 1 and 20 µM for a range of inorganic and small organic anions was found feasible. Precisely controlled hydrodynamic flow was generated with a sequential injection manifold based on a syringe pump. Sample injection was carried out with a new design relying on a simple piece of capillary tubing to achieve the appropriate back-pressure for the required split-injection procedure.

Preparation and ion chromatographic properties of a new core-shell chromatographic support Al2O3/SiO2-10.

A new stationary phase Al(2)O(3)/SiO(2)-10 was prepared and characterized by XPS, XRD, SEM and surface analysis. The anion exchanger properties of this new stationary phase were investigated by the separation of inorganic anions in ion chromatography (IC). pH of the mobile phase, concentration and strength of the Lewis base of the elute, and the organic modifier of the mobile phase strongly affect the separation of inorganic anions, and anion exchange selectivities of the analyte on the new support are significantly different from quaternary ammonium styrene based anion exchangers. The result of separation of inorganic anions shows that the new stationary phase provides excellent column efficiency, well-defined chromatographic peaks and favorable retention times.

Recent developments and emerging directions in ion chromatography.

This review provides a selected overview of some of the significant developments that have occurred in ion chromatography (IC) over recent years, together with some views on the future directions that IC will follow. The topics covered in the review include new stationary phases (especially monolithic phases), miniaturized IC systems (capillary, microchip and low-pressure formats), enhanced peak capacity through the use of complex eluent profiles and associated computer tools for simulation and prediction of retention, hyphenated IC systems and their use for speciation studies and metallomics, and the rapidly increasing use of IC in bioanalysis.

Effect of pH, competitive anions and NOM on the leaching of arsenic from solid residuals.

Implementation of the new arsenic MCL in 2006 will lead to the generation of an estimated 6 million pounds of arsenic-bearing solid residuals (ABSRs) every year, which will be disposed predominantly in non-hazardous landfills. The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) is typically used to assess whether a waste is hazardous and most solid residuals pass the TCLP. However, recent research shows the TCLP significantly underestimates arsenic mobilization in landfills. A variety of compositional dissimilarities between landfill leachates and the TCLP extractant solution likely play a role. Among the abiotic factors likely to play a key role in arsenic remobilization/leaching from solid sorbents are pH, and the concentrations of natural organic matter (NOM) and anions like phosphate, bicarbonate, sulfate and silicate. This study evaluates the desorption of arsenic from actual treatment sorbents, activated alumina (AA) and granular ferric hydroxide (GFH), which are representative of those predicted for use in arsenic removal processes, and as a function of the specific range of pH and concentrations of the competitive anions and NOM found in landfills. The influence of pH is much more significant than that of competing anions or NOM. An increase in one unit of pH may increase the fraction of arsenic leached by 3-4 times. NOM and phosphate replace arsenic from sorbent surface sites up to three orders of magnitude more than bicarbonate, sulfate and silicate, on a per mole basis. Effects of anions are neither additive nor purely competitive. Leaching tests, which compare the fraction of arsenic mobilized by the TCLP vis-a-vis an actual or more realistic synthetic landfill leachate, indicate that higher pH, and greater concentrations of anions and NOM are all factors, but of varying significance, in causing higher extraction in landfill and synthetic leachates than the TCLP.

Anion-cation separations on a mixed bed alumina-silica column.

Mixed bed ion-exchange (MBIE) columns containing alumina and silica were evaluated for the simultaneous separation of anion and cation analytes. At the mobile phase pH used alumina provides anion exchange sites while silica provides cation exchange sites. Since alumina and silica exhibit weak acid and base properties, their anion and/or cation exchange properties are pH dependent. Ion exchange capacities, rates of exchange and analyte ion exchange selectivities are also pH dependent. The major mobile phase parameters affecting analyte anion and cation resolution and elution order are pH and type and concentration of counter anion and counter cation, respectively. The weight ratio of the two exchangers and/or the exchange capacities of the two in the column can also be used to alter resolution and elution order. Several examples of the simultaneous separation of inorganic mono- and divalent anions and cations using a single sample injection, a single column and a single detector (conductivity) illustrate the parameters and scope of the alumina-silica MBIE column.