Aroma Profiles Analysis of Two Populations of Salvia palaestina Benth. Collected from Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian Zones in Jordan.

The volatile principles emitted from different aerial organs of two S. palaestina Benth. populations (Mediterranean (Med) and Irano-Turanian (IrT)) growing wild in Jordan were extracted by Solid Phase Micro-Extraction (SPME) and analysed by GC/MS technique. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons dominated stems (59.38%, 49.67%) and leaves (93.28%, 32.39%) emissions from Med and IrT zones, respectively while monoterpene hydrocarbons had the major contribution to the aroma of pre-flowering buds (78.62%, 74.96%), opened flowers (76.12%, 59.99%) and petals (69.57%, 54.28%) and were mostly represented by sabinene (in Med zone) and ociemene isomers (Z & E) in IrT zone. Multivariate analysis classified the two populations into two different clusters based on their origin and indicated the occurrence of two ecotypes of this species. Different organs from the same collection site showed emission profiles of similar chemical composition.

FT-IR Spectroscopy for the Detection of Diethylene Glycol (DEG) Contaminant in Glycerin-Based Pharmaceutical Products and Food Supplements.

Identification and determination of diethylene glycol (DEG) in glycerin-based products was successfully achieved using FT-IR spectroscopy. Studied samples included 0.5% to 20% by mass DEGspiked into cough syrup, two paracetamol syrup formulations, and two food supplements. The characteristic DEGwavenumbers at 881 cm-1 and 1083 cm-1 were used for its quantitative determination in the studied samples. A very good accuracy in determining the DEG fraction was achieved with a mean error% of ±2.02% to ±7.69% upon using the corrected absorbance at 881 cm-1. The corrected absorbance at 1083 cm-1 band was used in the case of paracetamol formulations and resulted in a mean error% ranging from ±2.50% to ±10.28%. The values of limit of detection of the current method ranged from 0.051% to 0.068% DEG for all studied samples.

Aroma Profile of Two Populations of Salvia verbenaca Collected from Two Bio-Geographical Zones from Jordan.

The aroma emitted from the different organs of two Salvia verbenaca L. populations from Jordan were extracted by Solid Phase Micro-Extraction (SPME) and then analyzed by GC/MS. The emission profile of the stem, leaf and sepal samples from the Mediterranean zone (Al-Salt) was dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons (68.0 %, 33.7 %, and 42.2 %, respectively). The emission profile of flowering parts including pre-flowering buds, fully expanded flowers and petals was dominated by oxygenated monoterpenes (58.6 %, 59.3 % and 87.1 %, respectively). The major constituent detected in these organs was trans-sabinene hydrate acetate (range 14.5 %-87.0 %). On the other hand, samples collected from Irano-Turanian zone showed different emission patterns. While the stems, leaves and petal emissions were dominated by sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (54.9 %, 76.8 % and 52.6 %, respectively), monoterpene hydrocarbons dominated the emission profiles of the pre-flowering buds (75.1 %) and fully expanded flowers (73.6 %). Petals emissions were characterized by high concentrations of oxygenated monoterpenes (58.8 %). Notably, trans-sabinene hydrate dominated most organs emissions except for leaves (range 20.0 %-58.8 %). Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA) revealed two different clusters related to the two different geographical zones. The current investigation revealed two ecotypes of S. verbenaca that could result in two different chemotypes. Trans-sabinene hydrate acetate and trans-sabinene hydrate are suggested compounds for identifying these two chemotypes.

Microbiological analysis, antimicrobial activity, and heavy-metals content of Jordanian Ma'in hot-springs water.

Ma'in hot springs are known as sites of balneotherapy. However, little is known about their microbiology and chemistry. In this study, we aim at evaluating the antimicrobial activity of Ma'in hot-springs water (MHSW), studying its microbiology, and determining its physicochemical properties including the heavy metals content. Therefore, water samples were collected from Ma'in hot springs and tested for antimicrobial activity using agar diffusion method. Water was then cultivated on nutrient agar to isolate and identify the dominant bacteria by chemical and molecular methods. The identified strains were tested by cross streak method to evaluate their antimicrobial activity against different clinical and standard strains. Finally, water samples were chemically analyzed and the heavy-metals content was assessed. Results revealed that MHSW was not active against any of the clinical isolates. Nevertheless, MHSW was found to be active against five standard bacterial strains, namely, Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228 (inhibition zone: 20mm), Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 (inhibition zone: 19mm), Micrococcus luteus ATCC 9341 (inhibition zone: 15.3mm), and Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778 (inhibition zone: 12.3mm). After cultivation of MHSW, five bacterial isolates were obtained and identified based on 16S rRNA gene analysis as new strains of Anoxybacillus flavithermus (identity percentage ranges between 96-99%). Physicochemical analysis revealed that the in situ temperature was 59°C, pH was 7.8, salinity was 1.6ppt, and dissolved oxygen was 3.8mgl-1. In respect to heavy-metals content in MHSW, the following metals were present in the order: Cr (0.571ppm)>Mn(0.169ppm)>Fe (0.124ppm)>Zn (0.095)>Cu(0.070ppm)>Ni(0.058ppm)>Cd (0.023ppm)>Pb (0ppm). Cd, Cr, Ni and Mn were found to be higher than permissible levels set by international organizations and countries. This study highlights new chemical and microbiological data about Ma'in hot springs.

Investigations on the physical structure and the mechanism of drug release from an enteric matrix microspheres with a near-zero-order release kinetics using SEM and quantitative FTIR.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the physical structure and the release mechanisms of theophylline microspheres made of Eudragit S 100 polymer as an enteric polymer, combined with a nonerodible polymer, Eudragit RL 100. In the preparation process, polymer combinations (1:1) were dissolved in an organic solvent mixture composed of acetone and methanol at a specific ratio containing a theoretical drug loading of approximately 15%. Two microsphere formulations (LS1 and LS2) were prepared at two different total polymer concentrations (10% in LS1 and 12.7% in LS2). Dissolution studies were carried out using US Pharmacopeia Dissolution Apparatus II in an acidic medium for 8 h and in an acidic medium (2 h) followed by a slightly basic-buffered medium for 10 h. Both LS1 and LS2 microsphere formulations produced particles that were spherical in shape and had very narrow size distributions with one size fraction comprising 70-80% of the yield. Scanning electron microscopy and quantitative Fourier transform infrared were used for microsphere physical structure evaluation. Except for the absence of drug crystals, photomicrographs of both LS microspheres after dissolution in pH 1.2 and 7.2 buffer solutions were similar to those before dissolution. Dissolution results indicated the ability of LS microspheres to minimize drug release during the acid stage. However, in the slightly basic medium that followed the acidic stage, the drug release was sustained and controlled in its kinetics and data fitted to Peppas equation indicated a case II transport suggesting that the drug release is mainly through swelling/erosion mechanism.

Application of multi-way data analysis on excitation-emission spectra for plant identification.

The ability to distinguish among diets fed to Damascus goats using excitation-emission luminescence spectra was investigated. These diets consisted of Medicago sativa L. (alfalfa), Trifolium spp. (clover), Pistacia lentiscus, Phyllirea latifolia and Pinus brutia. The three-dimensional luminescence response surface from phosphate buffered saline (PBS) extracts of each material was analyzed using muti-way analysis chemometric tools (MPCA) and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). Using three principal components, the spectra from each diet material were distinguished. Additionally, fecal samples from goats fed diets of either alfalfa or clover hays were investigated. The application of MPCA and PARAFAC to these samples using models derived from the pre-digested diet materials was strongly suggestive of the utility of similarly derive training samples for the elucidation of botanical diet composition for animals.