An integrated multi-system to screen quality markers of blossom of Citrus aurantium L. var. amara Engl. via combining lipid-lowering and expectorant assays.

The present research demonstrated that an integrated multi-system based on the assays of lipid-lowering and expectorant effects was used to screen quality markers of an edible and medical material-the blossom of Citrus aurantium L. var. amara Engl. (BCAVA)-and a portion of active constituents were quantified in multiple batches to provide scientific data to establish a quality standard for BCAVA. Mouse models were developed to evaluate the lipid-lowering and expectorant effects, facilitating the investigation of medicinal parts through different polar extractions of BCAVA. Subsequently, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was utilized for the in vivo and in vitro identification of chemical profiles within the medicinal parts of BCAVA. This methodological approach led to the selection and quantification of several active compounds from 21 batches of BCAVA sourced from different geographical regions samples. Notably, the ethanol extract of BCAVA exhibited significant lipid-lowering and expectorant effects while 183 compounds were identified in vitro and 109 in vivo, respectively. Then, five key ingredients were quantified, and the quantitative data were subjected to statistical analysis to discriminate between samples from various geographical regions. Overall, the findings underscore the significance of an integrated, assay-based approach for the characterization and quality assessment of BCAVA.

Anti-Hyperlipidemic Components of the Leaves of Synsepalum dulcificum (Miracle Fruit).

Synsepalum dulcificum (Miracle fruit) is a tropical plant in West and Central Africa, which has been historically used for treating diarrhea in humans and animals. Pharmacological research has shown that the leaves of the plant possess anti-hyperlipidemia activity. However, its anti-hyperlipidemic components have not been reported. In this study, the leaves of S. dulcificum were extracted using 95% ethanol and the extract was fractionated using different polar solvents. The anti-hyperlipidemia activity of the extract and fractions were evaluated using the zebrafish model. The results showed that the ethyl acetate (EA) fraction displayed the best anti-hyperlipidemic effect. A comparison of the high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) profiles of the ethanol extract and different fractions at 350 nm indicated that a peak at 37.4 min has the highest intensity in the EA part, relatively. Then the chemical constituents of the extract and the active fraction were extensively identified using UPLC-Q-Exactive-Orbitrap-MS/MS, showing the main peak was quercitrin and other components in the EA part mainly included quercitrin analogs. Furthermore, the quercitrin was isolated from the plant and its contents in the extract and fractions were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detector (HPLC-UV) method. The quantitative results showed that the content of quercitrin in the EA fraction was 10.04% (w/w). Further pharmacological study indicated that quercitrin also possessed potent anti-hyperlipidemia activity (improvement rates of liver fat and total cholesterol were 75.6% and 92.5% at 40 µg/mL, respectively). Besides, quercitrin showed little toxicity to zebrafish embryos.

In vitro and In vivo Determination of Biological Activities of Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia L.) Peel, Flesh and Seeds.

Momordica charantia L. has been remained a well-known medicinal vegetable used traditionally. However, which part is most effective against which disorder, has been remained undiscovered yet. The objective of this study was to examine the antimicrobial, antihyperlipidemic and antihyperglycemic activities of peel, flesh, and seeds of bitter gourd, through in vitro and in vivo assays. Ethanolic extracts from powders of three fractions of bitter gourd were assessed for antimicrobial potential against bacterial and fungal strains, whereas, powders of these fractions were used to determine antihyperlipidemic and antihyperglycemic activity, in alloxan induced diabetic rats. Our results showed that BSE exhibited better antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus, whereas BFE exhibited better against Escherichia coli. Blood glucose was significantly lowered by all three powders in a dose dependent manner, when fed to diabetic rats, with the highest decrease by BSP, which reduced the glucose level from 296.20 ± 2.00 mg/dl to 123.10 ± 0.80 mg/dl, at 15 mg dose, after 28 days trial. Elevated levels of TC (101.18 ± 0.65 mg/dl), TG (83.69 ± 0.61 mg/dl) and LDL-C (25.90 ± 0.09 mg/dl) in positive control rats were lowered down in well manners by BSP at 15 mg dose, to 86.30 ± 0.53, 67.70 ± 0.53 and 19.32 ± 0.06 mg/dl, respectively. As compared to BFP and BPP, BSP showed significant involvement in antibacterial, antihyperglycemic, and antihyperlipidemic actions. Along with the edible flesh, peels and seeds, which are usually discarded as waste, could also be utilized for development of pharma foods capable of promoting health.

Urinary metabolomics analysis of the protective effects of Daming capsule on hyperlipidemia rats using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Hyperlipidemia is recognized as one of the most important risk factors for morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases. Daming capsule, a Chinese patent medicine, has shown definitive efficacy in patients with hyperlipidemia. In this study, serum biochemistry and histopathology assessment were used to investigate the lipid-lowering effect of Daming capsule. Furthermore, urinary metabolomics based on ultra high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was conducted to identify the urinary biomarkers associated with hyperlipidemia and discover the underlying mechanisms of the antihyperlipidemic action of Daming capsule. After 10 weeks of treatment, Daming capsule significantly lowered serum lipid levels and ameliorated hepatic steatosis induced by a high-fat diet. A total of 33 potential biomarkers associated with hyperlipidemia were identified, among which 26 were robustly restored to normal levels after administration of Daming capsule. Pathway analysis revealed that the lipid-lowering effect of Daming capsule is related to the regulation of multiple metabolic pathways including vitamin B and amino acid metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and pentose phosphate pathway. Notably, the study demonstrates that metabolomics is a powerful tool to elucidate the multitarget mechanism of traditional Chinese medicines, thereby promoting their research and development.

Biological-Profiling-Based Systematic Analysis of Rhizoma Coptidis from Different Growing Regions and Its Anticholesterol Biosynthesis Activity on HepG2 Cells.

Rhizoma Coptidis is a widely cultivated traditional Chinese herb. Although the chemical profiles of Rhizoma Coptidis have been established previously, the biological profiling of Rhizoma Coptidis has not been conducted yet. In this study, we collected Rhizoma Coptidis varieties from four distinct growing regions and performed genome-wide biological response fingerprinting (BioReF) on HepG2 cells using a gene expression array. Similar biological pathways were affected by extracts of all four Rhizoma Coptidis varieties but not by their analogue, Mahoniae Caulis. Among these pathways, the terpenoid backbone biosynthesis pathway was highly enriched, and six genes in the mevalonate (MVA) pathway were all down-regulated. However, the expression, maturation, as well as the specific DNA binding capacity of their coordinate transcription factor, sterol response element binding protein 2 (SREBP2), was not affected by Rhizoma Coptidis extract (RCE) or its typical active alkaloid berberine. Cellular cholesterol content tests further verified the cholesterol-lowering function of RCE in vitro, which supplements evidence for the use of Rhizoma Coptidis in hyperlipidemia treatment. This is the first described example of evaluating the quality of Rhizoma Coptidis with BioReF and a good demonstration of using BioReF to uncover the mechanisms of herbs at a systematic level.

Spectrum-effect relationship between HPLC fingerprints and hypolipidemic effect of Curcuma aromatica.

Curcuma aromatica is used as a traditional Chinese medicine, and it is mainly distributed in Guangxi, China. In this study, 10 batches of C. aromatica were collected from different origins in Guangxi. The fingerprints were established by HPLC technique to investigate the quality stability of C. aromatica. The spectrum-effect relationship between HPLC fingerprints and hypolipidemic effect of C. aromatica was assessed by similarity analysis, gray relational analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. From the results, the similarity values between each batch of C. aromatica and reference fingerprint were >0.880, indicating the good quality stability of the 10 batches of C. aromatica. Twenty common peaks were selected as the fingerprints to evaluate the quality and hypolipidemic effect of C. aromatica. The results of spectrum-effect relationship showed that peaks 10, 18, 13, 15 and 17 in the fingerprints were closely related to hypolipidemic effect. This study successfully established the spectrum-effect relationship between HPLC fingerprints and hypolipidemic effect of C. aromatica, which provided methods for quality control and more effectively studies on bioactive compounds of C. aromatica. It could also provide a new simple and effective method for utilizing the fingerprints to optimize the Chinese prescription and develop traditional Chinese medicine.

[The influence of the drying method for food properties and hypolidemic potential of oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus)].

The aim of this research was to study the influence of two drying methods: freeze-drying sublimation and dry-air drying on the selected nutritional properties and hypolipidemic potential of fruiting bodies of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus). The criteria for evaluation of the food properties were the color, the morphological structure, regidratation capacity, the total level of soluble proteins, fats, polysaccharides, free amino acids and monosaccharides. Lipid-lowering potential of oyster mushroom was evaluated by the concentration of lovastatin and the level of antioxidant activity. It has been experimentally revealed that the value of optical density of hydro-alcohol extracts of dried oyster mushrooms at a wavelength of 295 nm most clearly characterized its color which intensity was almost twice less in sublimated mushrooms, than шт the sample dried by dry-air method. Histological data showed that dry-air drying lead to the destruction of the mushroom cells and to the formation of a dense layered structure. Sublimation drying preserved the ordered cell structure and provided less deformation and shrinkage of the tissues. Using X-ray microtomography it was reported that freeze-dried mushrooms had uniform pore volume distribution. Dry-air dehydration method lead to the formation of larger cavities. The average percentage of the open pores was: 29.41±0.52% (after dry-air method), 11.10±0.41% (after freeze-drying method). Respectively the number of closed pores, which reflected the true value of porosity, was 0.99±0.01 and 1.75±0.01%. Structural differences of the samples of the dry oyster mushroom combined with their unequal hydration ability. Indicator of rehydration for oyster mushroom dried by sublimation method was 5.4±0.1, and for samples obtained by dry-air method it was 3.2±0.1. Respectively the average time of maximum water absorption was 22.7±1.8 and 45.3±2.9 minutes. It was found that the freeze-drying sublimation conditions were more conducive for the preservation of the biologically active protein and polysaccharide components of oyster mushrooms and on the other hand dry-air drying method increased the nutritional value of oyster mushrooms due to the reactions of polysaccharides autohydrolysis. The number of proteins and polysaccharides of the Oyster mushrooms samples dried by dry-air method and freeze-drying method was 72.0% and 56.0% respectively. Concentrations of free amino acids and glucose in the samples dried by freeze-drying and dry-air methods were 11.60±0.31%; 175.20±6.10 mg% and 7.00±0.28%; 144.0±5.7 mg% respectively. It has been experimentally recorded that the conditions of freeze drying were optimal in terms of ensuring the preservation of the content of natural statin and the antioxidant capacity of oyster mushrooms that provided its hypolipidemic potential. The amount of lovastatin in an the freeze-dried samples was 342±9.0 mg/kg, and was significantly higher than in the samples received by dry-air method - 190±6.0 mg/kg. The level of antioxidant activity of the oyster mushrooms samples were respectively 3.83±0.02 against 2.0±0.03 mmol/100 g. The conducted researches proved that for the production of dry oyster mushroom as a potential biologically active feedstock for the functional food products with lipid-regulating directivity the choice of the drying method had a fundamental importance.

The Health Benefits of Selected Culinary Herbs and Spices Found in the Traditional Mediterranean Diet.

The Mediterranean diet is considered one of the healthiest diets in the world. This is often attributed to low saturated fat consumption, moderate wine consumption, and high vegetable consumption. However, herbs and spices associated with these diets may also play an important role in the quality of this diet. This review summarizes the most recent research regarding the anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-hypertensive properties of this collection of culinary species. Additionally, this review briefly summarizes studies performed on lesser known herbs from around the world, with the goal of identifying new culinary species that may be useful in the treatment or prevention of diseases.

Nutritional composition of Stevia rebaudiana, a sweet herb, and its hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effect on patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of diabetes is rapidly rising all over the globe at an alarming rate. India shelters the highest number of diabetics and is thus known as the 'Diabetes Capital of the World'. The chemical management of diabetes has side effects and hence the present study was undertaken to assess the hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effect of Stevia rebaudiana in patients with type 2 diabetes, non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Its nutritional composition and use as a sweetener substitute were also assessed. RESULTS: Chemical analysis of dried Stevia leaf powder revealed it to be a nutritious herb with a good iron and fibre content. Intervention trials in diabetics revealed that it significantly lowered fasting and post-prandial blood glucose levels. The serum triglycerides and VLDL-C levels were also significantly reduced. CONCLUSION: Hence it can be said that Stevia can safely be used as an anti-diabetic herb, as a sweetener substitute and may help to prevent cardiovascular diseases in patients with long-standing diabetes. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

In Silico and Wet Lab Studies Reveal the Cholesterol Lowering Efficacy of Lauric Acid, a Medium Chain Fat of Coconut Oil.

The coconut oil (CO) contains 91 % of saturated fatty acids in which 72 % are medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) like lauric, capric and caprylic acids. In contrast to animal fat, coconut oil has no cholesterol. Despite this fact, CO is sidelined among other vegetable oils due to the health hazards attributed to the saturated fatty acids. Though various medicinal effects of CO have been reported including the hypolipidemic activity, people are still confused in the consumption of this natural oil. In silico analyses and wet lab experiments have been carried out to identify the hypolipidemic properties of MCFAs and phenolic acids in CO by using different protein targets involved in cholesterol synthesis. The molecular docking studies were carried out using CDOCKER protocol in Accelery's Discovery Studio, by taking different proteins like HMG- CoA reductase and cholesterol esterase as targets and the different phytocompounds in coconut as ligands. Molecular docking highlighted the potential of lauric acid in inhibiting the protein targets involved in hyperlipidemics. Further, validation of in silico results was carried out through in vivo studies. The activity of key enzymes HMG- CoA reductase and lipoprotein lipase were found reduced in animals fed with lauric acid and CO.

Hypolipidemic and Antioxidant Properties of Hot Pepper Flower (Capsicum annuum L.).

At present, the various medical treatments of obesity involve side effects. The aim of the research is therefore to find natural compounds that have anti-obesity activity with minimum disadvantages. In this study, the hypolipidemic effect of hydroalcoholic extract of flowers from Capsicum annuum L. was examined through the evaluation of inhibition of pancreatic lipase. Antioxidant activity was assessed using different tests: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide (˙NO) and lipid peroxidation inhibition assays. Phytochemical analysis indicated that total phenolic and flavonoid content in the extract was 128.7 ± 4.5 mg chlorogenic acid equivalent/g of crude extract and 17.66 ± 0.11 mg of quercetin equivalent/g of crude extract, respectively. The extract inhibited pancreatic lipase with IC50 value equal to 3.54 ± 0.18 mg/ml. It also inhibited lipid peroxidation with IC50 value of 27.61 ± 2.25 µg/ml after 30 min of incubation and 41.69 ± 1.13 µg/ml after 60 min of incubation. The IC50 value of radical scavenging activity was 51.90 ± 2.03 µg/ml. The extract was also able to inhibit NO production (IC50 = of 264.3 ± 7.98 µg/ml) without showing any cytotoxic effect.

A simple approach to compensate the suction caused by the electrospray ionization source in capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry systems.

ESI sources continuously consume the liquid at the tip of the capillary, which causes the dragging of the BGE. The laminar nature of this flow causes the broadening of the peaks and loss of separation efficiency. The usual solution for this problem is to compensate this phenomenon by reducing the pressure at the inlet vial by either leveling of this vial or pumping off the air that is over it. However, one must know the pressure to be applied in order to prevent under- or over-compensation. The procedure herein introduced allows the easy calculation of this pressure by obtaining two electropherograms at two different values of separation voltage. The migration times of the peaks allow the calculation of the apparent mobilities even in the presence of the laminar flow. Therefore, one can calculate the contributions from both electrophoresis and hydrodynamic flow, and finally the pressure associated with the undesirable flow. This pressure is then applied as a negative pressure at the inlet vial in the following experiments. Increase of up to 192% in the number of plates was obtained in a simple experiment. In addition, the bubble forming caused by the ESI suction during injection was prevented by turning off the nebulizer gas during the changes of inlet vials.

Antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic effects of fruit extract of Hodgsonia heteroclita (Roxb.) Hook. f. & Thomson in diabetic mice.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Hodgsonia heteroclita has been known as an important traditionally consumed medicinal plant of North-East India known to have antidiabetic properties. This study aims to investigate the effects of the ethanolic fruit extract of Hodgsonia heteroclita against hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia by using streptozotocin (STZ) treated diabetic mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The fruits of H. heteroclita were collected from the various parts of Kokrajhar district, Assam India (Geographic coordinates: 26°24'3.85″ N 90°16'22.30″ E). Basic morphological evaluations were carried out by the Botanical Survey of India, Eastern circle, Shillong, who also certified and identified the plant. Hexane, chloroform, and ethanolic extracts of the fruit of H. heteroclita were investigated for α-amylase inhibition assay as a rapid screening tool for examining anti-diabetic activity. The efficacy of ethanolic extract at a dose of 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg body weight was tested for 21 days in STZ-induced diabetic mice. The body weight, fasting plasma glucose and serum lipids, and hepatic glycogen levels were measured in experimental animals to examine the antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic efficacy of the extract. Both HPTLC and LC-MS analysis was performed to examine the phyotochemicals present in the ethanolic extract of H. heteroclita. RESULTS: It has been observed that treatment with the ethanolic extract dose-dependently reduced the plasma glucose levels, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglyceride, and increased the body weight, liver glycogens and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol in STZ treated diabetic mice. HPTLC demonstrated the presence of triterpene compounds and LC-MS analysis revealed the presence Cucurbitacin I, Cucurbitacin E, and Kuguacin G as the triterpene phytoconstituents. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that ethanolic fruit extract of H. heteroclita improved both glycemic and lipid parameters in mice model of diabetes.

Germinated brown rice and its role in human health.

Brown rice, unmilled or partly milled, contains more nutritional components than ordinary white rice. Despite its elevated content of bioactive components, brown rice is rarely consumed as a staple food for its dark appearance and hard texture. The germination of brown rice can be used to improve its taste and further enhance its nutritional value and health functions. Germinated brown rice is considered healthier than white rice, as it is not only richer in the basic nutritional components such as vitamins, minerals, dietary fibers, and essential amino acids, but also contains more bioactive components, such as ferulic acid, γ-oryzanol, and gamma aminobutyric acid. Moreover, germinated brown rice has been reported to exhibit many physiological effects, including antihyperlipidemia, antihypertension, and the reduction in the risk of some chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, it is likely that germinated brown rice will become a popular health food.

HPTLC-Bioluminescent Bioautography Screening of Herbal Teas for Adulteration with Hypolipidemic Drugs.

Teas based on nutraceutical herbs are an effective tool against hyperlipidemia. However, the adulteration with chemical drugs is frequently detected. By coupling bioluminescent bioautography with high performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), we developed a facile method suitable for screening hypolipidemic drugs (ciprofibrate and bezafibrate) adulteration in five different herbal teas (lotus leaf, Apocynum, Ginkgo biloba, Gynostemia and chrysanthemum). First, the sensitivity of a bioluminescent bacteria to the analyte was evaluated on different HPTLC layer materials, revealing that the best performance was achieved on the silica gel layer. On this basis, sample extracts were separated on silica gel plates via a standardized HPTLC procedure, forming a selective detection window for the targeted compound. Then, the separation results were rapidly visualized by the bioluminescence inhibition of bacteria cells within 6 min after dipping. The observed inhibition displayed an acceptable limit of detection (<20 ng/zone or 2 mg/kg) and linearity (R2 ≥ 0.9279) within a wide concentration range (50-1000 ng/zone). Furthermore, the optimized method was performed with artificially adulterated samples and the recovery rates were determined to be within the range of 71% to 91%, bracing its practical reliability. Showing superiorly high simplicity, throughput and specificity, this work demonstrated that the analytical method jointly based on HPTLC and bioautography was an ideal tool for screening bioactive compounds in complex biological matrix.

Comparative study of hypocholesterolemic and hypolipidemic effects of conjugated linolenic acid isomers against induced biochemical perturbations and aberration in erythrocyte membrane fluidity.

AIM OF STUDY: The purpose of the study was to evaluate hypolipidemic and hypocholesterolemic activities of conjugated linolenic acid (CLnA) isomers, present in bitter gourd and snake gourd seed, in terms of amelioration of plasma lipid profile, lipoprotein oxidation and erythrocyte membrane fluidity after oral administration. METHODS: Male albino rats were divided into six groups. Group 1 was control, and others were induced with oxidative stress by oral gavage of sodium arsenite (Sa). Group 2 was kept as treated control, and groups 3-6 were further treated with different oral doses of seed oils to maintaining definite concentration of CLnA isomers (0.5 and 1.0% of total lipid for each CLnA isomer). RESULTS: CLnA isomers normalized cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride contents in plasma and body weight of experimental rats and decreased cholesterol synthesis by reducing hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activity. Administration of Sa caused alteration in erythrocyte membrane fluidity due to increase in cholesterol and decrease in phospholipid content. Tissue cholesterol and lipid contents were also increased by Sa administration. These altered parameters were reversed by experimental oil administration. Protective effect of CLnA isomers on erythrocyte morphology was observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membrane showed decrease in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and increase in arachidonic acid content after Sa administration, which was normalized with the treatment of these oils. Supplementation of CLnA isomers restored erythrocyte membrane (EM) lipid peroxidation and lipoprotein oxidation. CONCLUSION: CLnA isomers, present in vegetable oils, showed potent hypolipidemic and hypocholesterolemic activities against biochemical perturbations.

Water extracts of immature Rubus coreanus regulate lipid metabolism in liver cells.

Hyperlipidemia is a major contributor for atherosclerosis and hypolipidemic drugs such as statin are highly prescribed to treat elevated lipid level in plasma. Rubus coreanus, which is widely cultivated in south eastern Asia, have been reported to show significant cholesterol lowering action in hyperlipidemic subjects. Our objective was to determine the cellular effect of Rubus coreanus extract (RCE) on cholesterol biosynthesis in human hepatic cells (HepG2) and to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which it causes change in cholesterol metabolism. RCE treatment lowered cholesterol biosynthesis as well as secretion from HepG2 cells. This effect was associated with lowering the release of apolipoproteins from hepatic cells. RCE treatment also showed an increase in phosphorylation of foxhead box protein 01 (FoXo-1) and 5-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), thus lowering expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and G6Pase, which might be a major pathway for cholesterol biosynthesis inhibition. Apart from this; RCE also lowered sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP-1) expression in HepG2 cells, showing a long term regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis activity. These results indicate that one of the anti-hyperlipidemic actions of RCE is due to inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis in hepatic cells and provides first documentation of a hypolipidemic bio-molecular action of Rubus coreanus.

Lipase-catalysed production of triacylglycerols enriched in pinolenic acid at the sn-2 position from pine nut oil.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to produce triacylglycerols (TAGs) enriched in pinolenic acid (PLA) at the sn-2 position using the principle of acyl migration, from the pine nut oil containing PLA esterified exclusively at the sn-3 position. RESULTS: Two types of lipase-catalysed reactions, i.e. redistribution and reesterification of fatty acids, were successively performed using seven commercially available lipases as biocatalysts. Of the lipases tested, Novozym 435 and Lipozyme TL IM were effective biocatalysts for positioning PLA at the sn-2 location. These biocatalysts were selected for further evaluation of the effects of reaction parameters, such as temperature and water content on the migration of PLA residues to the sn-2 position and TAG content. For both lipases, a significant decrease in TAG content was observed after the lipase-catalysed redistribution of fatty acids for both lipases. The reduced TAG content could be enhanced up to approx. 92%, through lipase-catalysed re-esterification of the hydrolysed fatty acids under vacuum. CONCLUSION: TAG enriched in PLA at the sn-2 position was synthesised from pine nut oil via lipase-catalysed redistribution and re-esterification of fatty acid residues using Lipozyme TL IM and Novozym 435 as biocatalysts.

Occurrence and behavior of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and lipid regulators in wastewater and urban river water of the Pearl River Delta, South China.

Occurrence of five non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (salicylic acid, ibuprofen, naproxen, indomethacin and diclofenac) and three lipid regulators (bezafibrate, clofibric acid and gemfibrozil) was investigated in wastewater, sewage sludge, and river water of the urban section of the Pearl River at Guangzhou in South China. Behavior and fate of the pharmaceuticals during treatment in two sewage treatment plants (STPs) were also studied in depth by determining concentrations in the influents and effluents at major treatment units and the sewage sludge. Concentrations of the pharmaceuticals in the raw wastewater were mostly at ng L(-1) levels except salicylic acid whose concentrations ranged from 9.6 to 23.3 µg L(-1). No significant amount of the pharmaceuticals was detected in the suspended particulate matter of wastewater and sewage sludge. Salicylic acid, indomethacin, and naproxen were almost completely removed (≥ 99%); gemfibrozil, ibuprofen and bezafibrate were significantly removed (>75%), whereas diclofenac and clofibric acid were removed by 60-70% during treatment in the STPs. Generally, biodegradation was the governing process for elimination of the investigated pharmaceuticals. Anaerobic biodegradation was responsible for most of the removal of diclofenac whereas aerobic biodegradation also played an important role in elimination of the other pharmaceuticals except SA, which was nearly completely removed after the anoxic process. In the Pearl River, the pharmaceuticals were widely detected. Both the concentrations and detection frequency were higher in March 2008 than those in the other seasons, which may be ascribed mainly to less dilution caused by lower precipitation. Besides the STPs, urban canals directly connected with the Pearl River may also be important contributors to the pharmaceutical contamination in the river.