Green solid-liquid extraction of cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) cladode dietary fibers. I- optimization, pilot-scale production, and characterization.

In this research work, an optimization of an environment friendly extraction method of cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) cladode dietary fibers was conducted. For this purpose, a central composite experimental design with two factors (temperature and time) and five levels was established. The basic objective of this optimization was to maximize fiber yield using hot water as an extraction eco-solvent. The optimum extraction time (330 min) and temperature (100 °C) were determined with a constant medium agitation rate. Additionally, this study also aimed at establishing the validation of the statistical model to carry out the extrapolation of the extraction process at the pilot scale. The fibers extracted at the pilot scale showed yields (45.2 ± 0.01%) in agreement with those obtained through the optimization and validation lab-scale steps (44.97 ± 0.02). Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis were conducted to investigate the structure and microstructure of pilot scale-produced fibers. FTIR spectrum and XRD pattern were typical to lignocellulosic fibers results. Sharp and thin peaks characteristic of cellulose were detected. Pure and crystallized phases were recorded with a 45% crystallinity index. SEM analysis presented elongated and organized cells with a uniform structure comparable to cellulosic fibers microstructure.

Metabolic syndrome and physical activity measured by pedometer among adolescents.

AIM: To describe the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and to study the association of physical activity measured by pedometer with the metabolic syndrome components, in a sample of overweight and obese adolescents from Sfax City. METHODS: This study concerned 51 obese and overweight adolescents (28 girls and 23 boys), between the ages of 15 and 18 years, recruited by the unit of obesity and metabolic syndrome department of endocrinology, Hedi Chaker Hospital, University of Sfax, between december 2012 and october 2013. Metabolic syndrome was defined with the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Physical activity was monitored with pedometer (Digi-Walker SW-200; Yamax Co, Tokyo, Japan). RESULTS: The frequency of metabolic syndrome was 21.6%. It was significantly higher in obese (25%) than in overweight (15,81%) adolescents (p=0.04). The most common component, associated with abdominal obesity, was hypoHDLemia observed in 58.8 % of the sample. The average steps / day measured by pedometer was significantly higher in subjects without metabolic syndrome than with (9648, 25±2297, 726 vs 7365, 91±1505, 65 steps/day; p=0, 03). Pedometer determined steps/day was inversely correlated with waist circumference (P<0.05), blood pressure (P<0.05) and triglycerides (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Metabolic syndrome is prevalent in our young population. A more physically active lifestyle appears to be associated with lower probability of metabolic syndrome.

Exploring Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain OM81 for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastic using olive mill wastewater.

In this study, bacterial strains isolated from olive oil mill wastewater assigned to Bacillus (n = 4) and Klebsiella (n = 1) genera, were evaluated for their ability to accumulate intracellular PHA granules using Sudan Black staining. A maximum PHA production of 0.14 g/L (i.e., 30.2% wt./wt. in dry biomass) was observed in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain OM81 after 72 h of incubation in the presence of 2% glucose (synthetic medium). To reduce bioplastic production costs and recover a polluting product, olive mill wastewater was tested as a carbon source. In this context, the maximum growth (1.45 g/L) was observed in the presence of 50% olive mill wastewater. After extracting the biopolymers with chloroform, quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). FTIR showed an absorption band at 1730 cm-1 assigned to the elongation of the PHB carbonyl groups. This approach offers a dual benefit of reducing pollution and bioplastic production costs. The Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain OM81 showed promising results for PHAs production, making it a potential candidate for further investigation. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03808-4.

[Masked arterial hypertension in patients with type2 diabetes mellitus: Prevalence, associated factors and cardiovascular impact]. / L'hypertension artérielle masquée chez les diabétiques de type 2 : Prévalence, facteurs associés et retentissement cardiovasculaire.

PROBLEMATIC AND OBJECTIVE: Masked arterial hypertension (MHTN) is a recently described entity that is associated with the same cardiovascular risk as permanent hypertension. Its prevalence is more frequent in patients with diabetes. The objective of this study is to assess the value of systematic screening for MHTN by 24-hour blood pressure monitoring in a population of type 2 diabetic patients by estimating its prevalence and looking for predictive factors of MHTN in this population. METHODS: Through a prospective study, we recruited normotensive type 2 diabetics for clinical measurement, in whom we systematically searched for MHTN by performing an ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM). The diagnosis of MHTN is established if: mean daytime BP ≥ 135/85 mmHg and / or, mean nighttime BP ≥ 120/70 mmHg and / or, mean 24 hour BP ≥ 130/80 mmHg. We then compared the two populations of MHTN (G1) and normotensive (G2) on clinical and laboratory parameters and we assessed end-organ damage in order to identify the predictive factors of MHTN. RESULTS: We recruited 53 patients whose mean age was 55.3 ± 8.4 years (range 35-72 years) with a female predominance (53%). The duration of diabetes was on average 8.7 ± 3.9 years with extremes between 2 and 17 years. The average BMI of our patients was 28.2 ± 5.3 Kg/m2. Overweight was found in almost half of our patients (47.2%). Obesity was found in 32.1% of cases. Metabolic syndrome was found in 64.2% of patients. In our study, the prevalence of HTAM in type 2 diabetics was 64%. We also found that MHTN was more often nocturnal (58.5%) and occurred mainly in non-dipper patients. Left ventricular hypertrophy, microalbuminuria and arterial stiffness evidenced by pulse pressure greater than 60mmHg were more common in the MHTN group. For the predictive factors of MHTN, we were able to collect in univariate analysis the following factors: duration of diabetes, fasting blood sugar, weight and microalbuminuria. In multivariate analysis, the predictive factors that emerged in our study are poor glycemic control (HbA1c ≥7%), high BMI and duration of diabetes. CONCLUSION: MHTN should be sought in diabetics because it allows a better assessment of the cardiovascular risk, in particular by identifying end-organ damage.

A Rare Cause of Refractory Chronic Diarrhea and Cachexia: A Case Report.

VIPoma is an unusual neuroendocrine neoplasm that autonomously secretes VIP. It is associated with secretory diarrhea and electrolyte disturbances. Herein we report a case of a male patient, who was hospitalized in the Department of Endocrinology in Hedi Chaker Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia. He presented VIPoma syndrome, with hepatic metastases at diagnosis. He had a history of chronic, watery diarrhea. He was dehydrated with many electrolytic disorders as hypokalemia, hyponatremia and metabolic acidosis. Abdominal CT scan showed a heterogeneous mass in the pancreatic head with multiple hepatic lesions. A high VIP hormone level was found. Histological study of a liver biopsy revealed hepatic metastases of neuroendocrine carcinoma. The patient received analogues of somatostatin and systemic chemotherapy, with a transient symptomatic relief. Sadly the patient was lost to follow-up.

[Insulinoma associated with adrenocorticotropic insufficiency and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism: a case study]. / Insulinome associé à une insuffisance corticotrope et un hypogonadisme hypergondadotrope: à propos d'une observation.

Pancreatic insulinoma is a rare, often benign, neuroendocrine tumor which may give rise to life-threatening consequences due to hypoglycemia-related accidents. Adrenal deficiency can also cause hypoglycemia. We report the case of a 68-year old patient hospitalized for recurrent hypoglycaemia. Tests were performed that showed endogenous hyperinsulinism, adrenocorticotropin deficiency and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. The patient received hydrocortisone without improvement. Five years later topography showed insulinoma. This study highlights the clinical, biological, radiological and therapeutic features of insulinoma as well as laboratory test results and shows that insulinoma can cause adrenocorticotropic deficiency and peripheral hypogonadism.

Successful Treatment of Insulin Allergy with Desensitization Therapy: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Insulin therapy is an essential treatment for type 1 and uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Hypersensitivity reactions have been described since the first administration of insulin, the same as any other therapy. Despite being a rare situation nowadays, it requires careful intra-hospital monitoring and multidisciplinary management. Here, we present a case of a 57-year-old patient with type 2 DM, an average glycemic control, and both penicillin and insulin allergy. Heunderwent a desensitization protocol which allowed successfully dismiss him with intermediate-acting insulin.

Use of green chemistry methods in the extraction of dietary fibers from cactus rackets (Opuntia ficus indica): Structural and microstructural studies.

This work aims to compare the development of three green chemistry methods in the extraction of cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) dietary fibers. The influence of extraction conditions (solvent nature: water, lemon juice and ethanol; extraction process: maceration and steam explosion; extraction time: 30 min, 1 h, 3 h, 5 h) on the chemical and structural composition was studied. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy proved that all treatments do not affect the cellulose structure and could induce the reduction of hemicelluloses and lignin content. The steam treatment with lemon juice was the best treatment in term of quality of the fibers extracted. Through X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis, it was demonstrated that this treatment contributed to the destruction of the amorphous phase with preservation of the crystalline phase. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the microstructure of the sample surface was uniform and contains arranged fibers. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) revealed fibers with 80 nm of diameter.

Effect of pH on the functional properties of Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis protein isolate.

In the present study, a protein isolate extracted from Arthrospira platensis by isoelectric precipitation was evaluated for its functional properties. The maximum nitrogen solubility was 59.6±0.7% (w/w) at pH 10. The A. platensis protein isolate (API) showed relatively high oil (252.7±0.3g oil/100g API) and water (428.8±15.4g of water/100g of API at pH 10) absorption capacities. The protein zeta potential, the emulsifying capacity, the emulsion ageing stability, the emulsion microstructure and the emulsion opacity as well as the foaming capacity and the foam stability were shown to be greatly affected by pH. Especially, emulsifying and foaming capacities were positively correlated to the protein solubility. Moreover, the API was able to form films when sorbitol (30% (w/w)) was used as plasticizer and to form gels when the API concentration exceeded 12% (w/w).

Effect of γ-radiation on free radicals formation, structural changes and functional properties of wheat starch.

Wheat starch was treated by different γ-radiation doses (3, 5, 10, 20, 35 and 50 kGy). The effects of γ-radiation on structural, thermal, physicochemical, morphological and rheological properties of wheat starch were studied. The presence of free radicals after γ-radiation treatment, which number decreased with time was confirmed. Structural analysis revealed decreases in the intensities of the O-H and C-H stretches and glycosidic linkages indicating the depolymerization of amylose and probably amylopectin into shorter chain molecules, but showed that γ-radiation treatment did not affect the crystalline structure. Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) thermograms showed the absence of significant differences in the gelatinization temperatures, as well as the corresponding transition enthalpies since the DSC parameters are related to the crystalline ordering within the granules. Apparent amylose content decreased linearly with increasing irradiation dose leading to an increase in water solubility index. An increase in the swelling power was observed after irradiation treatment until 20 kGy, followed by a rapid decrease at higher doses. Microscopic observations showed that the effect of γ-radiation was more visible on starch pastes than on starch granules. Rheological properties of the starch pastes decreased with increasing irradiation dose as a result of glycosidic bond cleavage.

An investigation into the nature of wheat flour dough adhesive behaviour.

Wheat flour dough adhesiveness was measured using a probe test developed previously. Six probes made of the following materials were used in adherence measurements: PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate), SS (stainless steel), PE (polyethylene), PVC (polyvinylchloride), PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) and PP (polypropylene). The specific energy of separation (ω, J/m2) was seen to vary with dough water content and probe material. The greatest ω was obtained with the PMMA probe, whereas the lowest one was obtained with the SS, PTFE and PP probes. This result was in accordance with the probe surface tension measurements. The amount of water was seen to have a stronger effect on adhesiveness than probe surface tension due to changes in dough rheology. Adherence measurements conducted with different probe materials and withdrawal rates showed that ω could be factorised into two terms, a constant value tentatively related to the thermodynamic work of adhesion, W0, and a viscoelastic function of rate of separation describing the energy dissipation in dough during debonding. A general model developed for pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) was shown applicable to wheat flour dough adhesiveness. It was also demonstrated that the appropriate measure of dough adhesiveness was not the maximum tensile force, but the energy of separation per unit area of interface, as stated before for PSAs.

Crystallization and polymorphism of triacylglycerols contribute to the rheological properties of processed cheese.

The thermal, rheological, and structural behaviors of a spreadable processed cheese were studied by complementary techniques including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), rheology, and X-ray diffraction as a function of temperature. In this product, fat is present as a dispersed phase. Thermal and rheological properties were studied at different cooling rates between 0.5 and 10 degrees C min(-1) from 60 to 3 degrees C. Crystallization properties of fat were monitored at a cooling rate of -2 degrees C min(-1) from 60 to -10 degrees C. Fat triacylglycerols (TGs) crystallized at 15 degrees C in a triple-chain length 3Lalpha (72 A) structure correlated to exothermic events and to the sudden increase in the rheological moduli G' and G''. Upon heating at 2 degrees C min(-1), the polymorphic transition of TGs evidence the melting of the 3Lalpha structure and the formation of a 2Lbeta' (36.7-41.5 A) structure. Melting of the latter follows. These transformations coincide with thermal events observed by DSC and the decrease in two steps of the rheological moduli. The influence of fat crystallization, melting, and polymorphism upon the viscoelastic properties is clearly demonstrated upon both heating and cooling.