Analysis of amino acids content in the plant components of the antidiabetic herbal mixture by GC-MS

Medicinal plants and their combinations due to the wide range of biologically active substances can influence on various links of the pathogenetic mechanism of development of DM type 2 and its complications. One of such combinations is an antidiabetic herbal mixture (Urticae folia, Rosae fructus, Myrtilli folia, Menthae folia and Taraxaci radices) with established hypoglycaemic, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, pancreatoprotective activity in previous pharmacological studies in vivo and in vitro and defined phytochemical composition. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify and establish the content of amino acids in the plant components of antidiabetic herbal mixture. The amino acids were separated by GC-MS method with pre-column derivatization. The calibration curves of twenty CRS of amino acids were linear (R2 > 0.98) over the range of 1–100 µg/mL, the LODs and the LOQs were in the range of 0.01–0.07 µg/mL and 0.02–0.20 µg/mL, respectively. The results of analysis showed that the predominant essential amino acid was L-proline in Taraxaci radices, Urticae folia, Rosae fructus and Menthae folia, its total content was 101.46 mg/g, 25.31 mg/g, 23.04 mg/g and 19.30 mg/g, respectively. In addition, it was established total content of essential amino acid – L-leucine that can stimulate insulin secretion in β-cells of the pancreas. Its total content was 58.51 mg/g in Taraxaci radices, 9.58 mg/g in Myrtilli folia, 4.68 mg/g in Rosae fructus, 2.99 mg/g in Urticae folia and 0.79 mg/g in Menthae folia. Chromatographic examination also revealed L-phenylalanine, an essential amino acid important for antidiabetic therapy that can increase insulin secretion, stimulate proliferation and neogenesis of β-cells of the pancreas and reduce insulin resistance. Its total content was 13.42 mg/g in Myrtilli folia, 2.23 mg/g in Rosae fructus, 1.478 mg/g in Urticae folia, 1.46 mg/g in Taraxaci radices and 0.52 mg/g in Menthae folia. This phytochemical study shows, which plant material forms the amino acid composition and content in the finished herbal mixture and due to which biologically active substances the antidiabetic activity of this phytocomposition is manifested.

Modern heat-resistant 11%Cr martensitic steel for power industry

Purpose: The purpose of the investigations was to characterise and describe the modern creep-resistant Thor 115 steel for supercritical power units. Design/methodology/approach: The investigations were performed based on the knowledge and experience of the author, the preliminary results of his own research and the available literature on the subject-matter of the considerations presented in the paper. Findings: Modern steel Thor 115 was subjected to overall analysis in terms of its use as a potential heat-resistant structural material for power plant components. Based on the preliminary results of own research and the available literature data, it has been shown that the analysed steel may be a structural material of full value if the assumed creep resistance in the service temperature range of 600-650ºC is confirmed. Research limitations/implications: The comprehensive analysis of degradation of microstructure of the steel after ageing (and/or creep) requires TEM examinations. Finding the correlation between the creep and ageing conditions and changes in the microstructure of the steel. Practical implications: The investigations carried out as part of the paper and the considerations on the subject-matter of the analysed steel may be the basis for the development of a database of material characteristics for steels, alloys and welded joints. Originality/value: The analysis of chemical composition, heat treatment and mechanical properties and the investigations of microstructure of Thor 115 steel are presented.

A Comprehensive Review on Therapeutic Potential on Euphorbia hirta Lin

Euphorbia hirta Linn, a representative of the Euphorbiaceae family, is a widespread annual herb found in wastelands in humid conditions. The plant is high in phytochemicals such as tannin, quercetin, and phytosterol, however there are few phytopharmacological investigations on it. Plant components are normally employed in traditional medicine to treat respiratory problems, gastrointestinal issues, wound healing, and other ailments. The steroid of E. hirta was found to have CNS depressive and muscle relaxant effects, as well as a sub-maximal anti-stress and anxiolytic impact.

Polyphenols effect on cerebrovascular health

: Polyphenols are a wide group of plant components that include a high number of individual compounds and are present in foods, dietary supplements and drugs. Many of them have shown pharmacological effects, are used in cardiovascular disease prevention, and not as many have been assayed in cancer treatment or co-treatment. In the last few years, however, the research on polyphenols implications in a healthy aging and especially in neurodegeneration and cognition improvement has increased dramatically. Most of the results found in this sense are again related with the capacity of some specific polyphenols to regulate the blood flow, but this time at the cerebral level, and to protect the endothelium at this same level. In this thorough review, we want to concentrate precisely on the effect of polyphenols on the cerebrovascular homeostasis, reviewing the mechanisms that underline this effect and the radiological methods and endogenous biomarkers that are used in human trials aimed at showing the beneficial effect of polyphenols or polyphenols rich foods on neuroprotection and cognition function.

Features of feeding the slaughter young stock of minks with complete feed

In the domestic fur farming there is an urgent need to introduce an alternative type of feeding for young minks. The purpose of the work is to study possible of feeding commercial young minks with complete feed, consisting of animal and plant components. Methods. In a scientific and economic experiment on young sapphire minks intended for slaughter, 2 groups were formed according to the principle of analogues, 32 heads each (16 males and 16 females): I – control, II – experimental. The animals of the control group received from 2015 August 5 to September 15 a typical general economic ration in the form of a wet mash, an experimental one – a loose, complete feed (made according to a recipe developed by us, taking into account the current norms), mixed with water in a ratio of 1:2. All experimental studies were carried out using classical zootechnical, pathomorphological, histological, veterinary-sanitary and statistical methods. Results and scope. The dynamics of the live weight of the experimental minks showed that by the beginning of the main period, the males and females of the experimental group lagged behind the control animals, after switching to the main diet for slaughter, the males lag remained and the females caught up with the control animals. But the control and experimental animals did not differ in the length of the carcass. The safety of the livestock was higher in the experimental group: males – 100 %, females – 93.75 %; in control – 93.75 % and 87.5 %, respectively. According to the main productive indicator – the quality test – the skins of the control and experimental animals did not have significant differences. Thus, the development of an alternative type of feeding is quite possible, but it requires improvement in the direction of increasing the coefficient of digestibility of nutrients and adaptation of males to an uncharacteristic type of feeding. Scientific novelty. The prospects and the need to introduce an alternative type of feeding the commercial young stock of minks with full-feed compound feeds into the domestic fur farming are outlined.

Analysis of carbohydrates content in the plant components of antidiabetic herbal mixture by GC-MS

Medicinal plants and their combinations due to the wide range of biologically active substances can influence on various links of the pathogenetic mechanism of development of diabetes mellitus and its complications. One of such combinations is an antidiabetic herbal mixture (Urticae folia, Rosae frucrus, Myrtilli folia, Menthae folia and Taraxaci radices) with established hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, pancreatoprotective activity in previous pharmacological study in vivo. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify and establish the content of carbohydrates in free and bound form in the plant components of antidiabetic herbal mixture. The carbohydrates were separated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after conversion into volatile derivatives as aldononitrile acetate. The monomeric composition of polysaccharides was studied after their hydrolysis to form monosaccharides and polyalcohols. The results of the quantitative study showed that the predominant carbohydrate in free form was saccharose in Urticae folia, L-fructose in Myrtilli folia, Rosae frucrus, Taraxaci radices and Menthae folia, L-glucose in Rosae frucrus. Concerning the determination of monomers of polysaccharides after hydrolysis, L-glucose prevailed in all plant components of antidiabetic herbal mixture. The chromatographic study revealed a number of polyalcohols that are important for the treatment and prevention of progression of diabetes mellitus and its complications, namely, mannitol and myo-inositol.

Segmentation and quantification of solar PV losses using data-driven algorithms to help better design and operational monitoring

<div>In the current scenario of increasing demand for solar Photo-voltaic (PV) systems, the need to predict their feasibility and monitor performance is more than ever. Although PV systems are known for their reliability, they are not above the damaging effects of their surroundings. Various lossy phenomena affect overall plant performance. In this paper, several of such losses, namely thermal, soiling, module degradation and inverter clipping, are discussed. Algorithms to evaluate these losses are proposed which are data-driven and empirical in nature. This is done as an effort to leverage the analytical capabilities provided by the plant data. The paper also compares the estimated losses with those obtained using the PVsyst simulation. As the latter is an independent industrial standard, it helps in understanding the ground reality of PV performance and insights for better operational monitoring. These insights are of immense business value and are aimed at optimizing performance and thereby revenue. As part of our asset management, all the solar PV plant components have sensors whose measurements are sent to the servers on a real-time basis. This is incorporated into our analytics portal which is used for operations and monitoring. The data used for this study is time-series in nature with a temporal least count of 5 minutes (instantaneous values spaced every 5min throughout the period of data capture). The actual data and its list of parameters is dependent on solar plant capacity and design site. For the reference dataset, a grid-connected solar rooftop PV plant in India was studied and its loss parameters were estimated. The plant components are discussed in the prologue of the results section. Solar PV is such a technology which has been enjoying increasing demand and this market scenario is quite favourable for innovation in energy research. This paper hopes to not only introduce the context of PV losses but also tries to engage the motivation to adopt data-driven and empirical methodologies to understand modern systems. This approach is better in the sense that it only gets better at prediction as time goes by and there is more data. Industrial research such as the above work in critical analysis of PV systems not only helps identify possible limitations but also suggest room for improvement. Since energy generation and project cost are key towards maximizing revenue, these estimation models aimed at predicting PV losses are to be deemed indispensable. As with any estimation, there is no one unique way of hitting the bull’s eye that is to know the exact value. The algorithms proposed above are very much dependent on the quality and quantity of data. However, the comparison between losses estimated using plant data and standard simulation using energy modelling can act as feedback towards improving the design and maintenance of such PV systems.</div>

Genetics of Inter Cropping for Crop Productivity Enhancement

Inter cropping which is also known as mixed cropping has ability of increasing usage of nutrient and water efficiently, enhancing crop productivity, and plasticity to abiotic and biotic stress resulted by change in climate. In this agroecological farming method, two or more crops are cultivated together on the same farm area. Cereal with legume is a common combination. Crop selection is not profitable unless characteristics useful in intercrops, such as intercropping in legume and cereal cultivars, are considered. Inter cropping can result in enhanced soil fertility and structure, improved weed suppression, the conservation of soil moisture, and comparatively better control of diseases and pests, resulting greater yield and increased profitability. The biggest benefit of intercropping systems is the fact that they combine above-ground and below-ground benefits: these benefits include both short and tall plant components, which helps them to harness sunlight for photosynthesis, as well as deep and shallow rooted plant components, which assists them in using water and nutrients for crop production. Intercropping is popular in areas of the world including China, Mali, Indonesia, India, Ethiopia, and Niger due to its high growing popularity in agriculture. General & Specific Combining Ability principles in hybrid breeding have been applied for crop combinations and cultivars, and their impacts are recognized as General/ Specific Mixing Ability. The other considerable advantages of intercropping include greater land use efficiency, competitive ability towards weed, favorable exudates from the component legumes, and greater yield stability which cannot be achieved in monocropping. Plant breeding enables intercropping systems to better use their genetic diversity by conducting plant breeding research and harnessing this variability to cross-crop adaptability. High labor inputs in harvesting, higher cost of maintenance and reduction of the main crop are some disadvantages of intercropping.

Segmentation and quantification of solar PV losses using data-driven algorithms to help better design and operational monitoring

<div>In the current scenario of increasing demand for solar Photo-voltaic (PV) systems, the need to predict their feasibility and monitor performance is more than ever. Although PV systems are known for their reliability, they are not above the damaging effects of their surroundings. Various lossy phenomena affect overall plant performance. In this paper, several of such losses, namely thermal, soiling, module degradation and inverter clipping, are discussed. Algorithms to evaluate these losses are proposed which are data-driven and empirical in nature. This is done as an effort to leverage the analytical capabilities provided by the plant data. The paper also compares the estimated losses with those obtained using the PVsyst simulation. As the latter is an independent industrial standard, it helps in understanding the ground reality of PV performance and insights for better operational monitoring. These insights are of immense business value and are aimed at optimizing performance and thereby revenue. As part of our asset management, all the solar PV plant components have sensors whose measurements are sent to the servers on a real-time basis. This is incorporated into our analytics portal which is used for operations and monitoring. The data used for this study is time-series in nature with a temporal least count of 5 minutes (instantaneous values spaced every 5min throughout the period of data capture). The actual data and its list of parameters is dependent on solar plant capacity and design site. For the reference dataset, a grid-connected solar rooftop PV plant in India was studied and its loss parameters were estimated. The plant components are discussed in the prologue of the results section. Solar PV is such a technology which has been enjoying increasing demand and this market scenario is quite favourable for innovation in energy research. This paper hopes to not only introduce the context of PV losses but also tries to engage the motivation to adopt data-driven and empirical methodologies to understand modern systems. This approach is better in the sense that it only gets better at prediction as time goes by and there is more data. Industrial research such as the above work in critical analysis of PV systems not only helps identify possible limitations but also suggest room for improvement. Since energy generation and project cost are key towards maximizing revenue, these estimation models aimed at predicting PV losses are to be deemed indispensable. As with any estimation, there is no one unique way of hitting the bull’s eye that is to know the exact value. The algorithms proposed above are very much dependent on the quality and quantity of data. However, the comparison between losses estimated using plant data and standard simulation using energy modelling can act as feedback towards improving the design and maintenance of such PV systems.</div>

Segmentation and quantification of solar PV losses using data-driven algorithms to help better design and operational monitoring

<div>In the current scenario of increasing demand for solar Photo-voltaic (PV) systems, the need to predict their feasibility and monitor performance is more than ever. Although PV systems are known for their reliability, they are not above the damaging effects of their surroundings. Various lossy phenomena affect overall plant performance. In this paper, several of such losses, namely thermal, soiling, module degradation and inverter clipping, are discussed. Algorithms to evaluate these losses are proposed which are data-driven and empirical in nature. This is done as an effort to leverage the analytical capabilities provided by the plant data. The paper also compares the estimated losses with those obtained using the PVsyst simulation. As the latter is an independent industrial standard, it helps in understanding the ground reality of PV performance and insights for better operational monitoring. These insights are of immense business value and are aimed at optimizing performance and thereby revenue. As part of our asset management, all the solar PV plant components have sensors whose measurements are sent to the servers on a real-time basis. This is incorporated into our analytics portal which is used for operations and monitoring. The data used for this study is time-series in nature with a temporal least count of 5 minutes (instantaneous values spaced every 5min throughout the period of data capture). The actual data and its list of parameters is dependent on solar plant capacity and design site. For the reference dataset, a grid-connected solar rooftop PV plant in India was studied and its loss parameters were estimated. The plant components are discussed in the prologue of the results section. Solar PV is such a technology which has been enjoying increasing demand and this market scenario is quite favourable for innovation in energy research. This paper hopes to not only introduce the context of PV losses but also tries to engage the motivation to adopt data-driven and empirical methodologies to understand modern systems. This approach is better in the sense that it only gets better at prediction as time goes by and there is more data. Industrial research such as the above work in critical analysis of PV systems not only helps identify possible limitations but also suggest room for improvement. Since energy generation and project cost are key towards maximizing revenue, these estimation models aimed at predicting PV losses are to be deemed indispensable. As with any estimation, there is no one unique way of hitting the bull’s eye that is to know the exact value. The algorithms proposed above are very much dependent on the quality and quantity of data. However, the comparison between losses estimated using plant data and standard simulation using energy modelling can act as feedback towards improving the design and maintenance of such PV systems.</div>