The Influence of Micronization on the Properties of Black Cumin Pressing Waste Material.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of micronization on the characteristics of black cumin pressing waste material. The basic composition, amino acid, and fatty acid content of the raw material-specifically, black cumin pressing waste material-were determined. The samples were micronized in a planetary ball mill for periods ranging from 0 to 20 min. The particle sizes of micronized samples of black cumin pressing waste material were then examined using a laser analyzer, the Mastersizer 3000. The structures of the produced micronized powders was examined by X-ray diffraction. Additionally, the FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared) spectra of the micronized samples were recorded. The measurement of phenolic and antiradical properties was conducted both before and after in vitro digestion, and the evaluation of protein digestibility and trypsin inhibition was also conducted. The test results, including material properties, suggest that micronization for 10 min dramatically reduced particle diameters (d50) from 374.7 to 88.7 µm, whereas after 20 min, d50 decreased to only 64.5 µm. The results obtained using FTIR spectroscopy revealed alterations, especially in terms of intensity and, to a lesser extent, the shapes of the bands, indicating a significant impact on the molecular properties of the tested samples. X-ray diffraction profiles revealed that the internal structures of all powders are amorphous, and micronization methods have no effect on the internal structures of powders derived from black cumin pressing waste. Biochemical analyses revealed the viability of utilizing micronized powders from black cumin pressing waste materials as beneficial food additives, since micronization increased total phenolic extraction and antiradical activity.

Cooperativity of ESPT and Aggregation-Induced Emission Effects-An Experimental and Theoretical Analysis of a 1,3,4-Thiadiazole Derivative.

4-[5-(Naphthalen-1-ylmethyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl]benzene-1,3-diol (NTBD) was extensively studied through stationary UV-vis absorption and fluorescence measurements in various solvents and solvent mixtures and by first-principles quantum chemical calculations. It was observed that while in polar solvents (e.g., methanol) only a single emission band emerged; the analyzed 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivative was capable of producing dual fluorescence signals in low polarity solvents (e.g., n-hexane) and certain solvent mixtures (e.g., methanol/water). As clearly follows from the experimental spectroscopic studies and theoretical modeling, the specific emission characteristic of NTBD is triggered by the effect of enol → keto excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) that in the case of solvent mixture is reinforced by aggregation of thiadiazole molecules. Specifically, the restriction of intramolecular rotation (RIR) due to environmental hindrance suppresses the formation of non-emissive twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) excited keto* states. As a result, this particular thiadiazole derivative is capable of simultaneously producing both ESIPT and aggregation-induced emission (AIE).

Evaluation of the Quality of Selected White and Red Wines Produced from Moravia Region of Czech Republic Using Physicochemical Analysis, FTIR Infrared Spectroscopy and Chemometric Techniques.

The FTIR-ATR method coupled with the multivariate analysis of specific spectral areas of samples was developed to characterize two white grape varieties (Sauvignon Blanc and Hibernal) and two blue grape varieties (André and Cabernet Moravia) of wine planted and harvested in the Moravia region, Czech Republic. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were performed using fingerprint regions of FTIR spectra for all wines. The results obtained by principal component analysis in combination with linear discriminant analysis (PCA-LDA) scores yielded clear separation between the four classes of samples and showed very good discrimination between the wine samples, with a 91.7% overall classification rate for the samples. The conducted FTIR spectroscopy studies coupled with chemometrics allowed for the swift analysis of multiple wine components with minimal sample preparation. These methods can be used in research to improve specific properties of these wines, which will undoubtedly enhance the quality of the final wine samples obtained.

Comparative Analysis of Vegetable and Mineral Oil-Based Antiadhesive/Hydrophobic Liquids and Their Impact on Wood Properties.

The unavailability of biodegradable preservatives is one of the major setbacks in the construction industry. With this in mind, our study focused on the analysis and comparison of two hydrophobic liquids, one vegetable oil-based (VOA) and the other mineral oil-based (MOA), and subsequently applying the same on three types of wood. The comparison of the vegetable oil-based (VOA) and mineral oil-based (MOA) hydrophobic liquids revealed that VOA was characterized by an 83.4% susceptibility to aerobic biodegradation, while MOA was considerably more resistant (47.80%). Based on the conducted contact angle measurements, it was observed that the wettability of pine and oak wood decreased after the application of both VOA (for pine-twice; for oak-by 38%) and MOA (for pine-more than two times; for oak-by 49%), while in the case of aspen, the same was increased (after the application of VOA-by 20%; after the application of MOA-by 2%). The observed depth of penetration into the structure of the impregnated wood was lower for the VOA impregnant as compared to the MOA impregnant. This result persisted in all types of wood used in the experiment. Observations of the process of water absorption during soaking revealed that VOA was more beneficial in terms of lowering water absorption into the material, regardless of wood type. The overall results were better for VOA, which lowered the mass of soaked wood by between 19.73 and 66.90%.

Micronized Powder of Raspberry Pomace as a Source of Bioactive Compounds.

Red raspberries, which contain a variety of nutrients and phytochemicals that are beneficial for human health, can be utilized as a raw material in the creation of several supplements. This research suggests micronized powder of raspberry pomace production. The molecular characteristics (FTIR), sugar, and biological potential (phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity) of micronized raspberry powders were investigated. FTIR spectroscopy results revealed spectral changes in the ranges with maxima at ~1720, 1635, and 1326, as well as intensity changes in practically the entire spectral range analyzed. The discrepancies clearly indicate that the micronization of the raspberry byproduct samples cleaved the intramolecular hydrogen bonds in the polysaccharides present in the samples, thus increasing the respective content of simple saccharides. In comparison to the control powders, more glucose and fructose were recovered from the micronized samples of the raspberry powders. The study's micronized powders were found to contain nine different types of phenolic compounds, including rutin, elagic acid derivatives, cyanidin-3-sophoroside, cyanidin-3-(2-glucosylrutinoside), cyanidin-3-rutinoside, pelargonidin-3-rutinoside, and elagic acid derivatives. Significantly higher concentrations of ellagic acid and ellagic acid derivatives and rutin were found in the micronized samples than in the control sample. The antioxidant potential assessed by ABTS and FRAP significantly increased following the micronization procedure.