Static stability of partially crystalline emulsions: Impacts of carrageenan and its blends with xanthan gum and/or guar gum.

In the present study, four different combinations of gums, including carrageenan (CG), its binary blends with xanthan gum (XG) or guar gum (GG) in equal ratios, and its ternary blends with XG and GG in three equal ratios, were involved into making partially crystalline emulsions (PCEs), respectively. The freshly prepared emulsions were systematically characterized by rheological property, particle size distribution, microscopic morphology, interfacial property, and intermolecular interactions, and their emulsion stabilities were further evaluated using multiple light scattering technique and storage test. All PCEs stabilized by gum blends (CG + XG, CG + GG, and CG + XG + GG) obtained decreased apparent viscosities at 0.01 s-1 (10.12-25.32 Pa·s), particle sizes (3.12-4.06 µm), as well as interfacial protein concentrations (22.60-27.01 mg/m2), which were much lower than those with single CG (35.98 Pa·s, 6.72 µm, and 47.74 mg/m2, respectively). The microscopic morphology showed that blending CG with XG and/or GG contributed to formation of firmer three-dimensional matrix, thereby preventing the aggregation of fat droplets. Inclusion of XG and/or GG also significantly reduced contribution of hydrophobic interactions from 0.72 to 0.24-0.44 mg/mL. Both multiple light scattering and storage test revealed that emulsion instabilities were mainly manifested as a clarification at the bottom and an agglomeration at the top. PCE-CG + XG + GG exhibited superior stability with low creaming index (6.20 %) and viscosity (1180.0 mPa·s) after three months of storage. The research aims to evaluate the effects of CG and its blends with XG and GG on stability of PCEs, and the results potentially provide valuable information for manufacture of stable PCE foods.

A bibliometric-based analysis of the high-value application of Chlorella.

This bibliometric-based review analyses the trends in 1010 published articles (1990 to mid-2018) on the high-value application of Chlorella, and illustrates the evolution and latest tendencies at a global level by the number of publications and their distribution, issuing institutions and countries or regions, the sources and research direction, as well as the core-author and keywords. The results demonstrated that there is a burst in terms of the number of articles, and China, USA, Mexico, and Japan are the dominant countries in this area. The most relevant journals with this subject are Bioresource Technology and Hydrobiology, and the research mainly focuses on marine and freshwater biology, biotechnology and applied microbiology, energy and fuels, food science and technology, and environmental sciences. Overall, bibliometric analysis has shown that Chlorella application research is a very active field, and the future research will be conducted into construction of genetic engineering algae, high-density and low-cost culture systems, efficient harvesting and separation techniques, effective energy conversion, integrated photo-bioreactors, and molecular biology technology. Wastewater treatment, CO2 bio-fixation, biomass production, and biosynthesis of useful substances by cultivating microalgae are promising research fields.

[Randomized controlled clinical trials for treatment of external sty with ear-apex blood-letting].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of ear-apex blood-letting for external sty. METHODS: A total 102 sty patients were randomized into ear-apex blood-letting group (n = 51) and routine treatment (medication) group (n = 51) according to computer-aided randomization procedure. Ear-apex-bloodletting (5-6 blood drops/time) was performed once daily for 3 times for the patients of blood-letting group. Patients of the medication group were treated by local application of hydrochloric levofloxacin and erycin ointment to the affected eyelid lining. Additionally, local warm compress of the affected eyelid was given to patients of both groups. The therapeutic effect was assessed by measuring the size of the sty swell and visual analogue scale (VAS) was determined for evaluating pain severity changes. The outcomes were analyzed by researchers who did not know the grouping. RESULTS: Comparison between patients of the two groups showed that the difference vahees of the styrize and VAS score between pre- and post-treatment in the ear-apex bloodletting group were significantly bigger than those of the medication group on day 3, 5 and 7 after treatment (P<0.05). The cure rates of the blood-letting group and medication group were 64.7% and 41.2%, 90.2% and 62.7%, 94. 1% and 80.4%, respectively on day 3, 5 and 7 after the treatment. The therapeutic effects of blood-letting were significantly superior to those of the medication group in relieving external sty (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Ear-apex blood-letting therapy for external sty is effective in relieving pain, reducing the size and shortening the duration of disease.