Investigation of Two Precipitation Methods for Extracting Immunoglobulin Y (IgY) from Egg Yolks

Two groups of hens (control and immunization group) were arranged in an experimental design with an immunization schedule of 3 injections of BSA antigen. IgY antibodies were extracted from egg yolks by two precipitation processes (chloroform and polyethylene glycol precipitates) and quantified using a standard curve of protein concentration. The purification of IgYwas confirmed by SDS-PAGE. Total protein extracted from egg yoks were less contaminated with yellow pigments (lutein and zeaxanthin) by using chloroform precipitate. The 2nd week post-immunization, IgY concentration increased respectively to 3903 ± 726 μg.ml-1 (chloroform extraction process) and 2937 ± 294 μg.ml-1 (PEG extraction process) (P < 0.01). After 3rdimmunization, IgY level obtaining from in immunization group extracted by chloroform process (6633 ± 1166 μg.ml-1) increased 2.7 times higher than that in control group (2482 ± 414 μg.ml-1). Whereas IgY concentrations obtained from PEG extraction process were not significantly different between the experimental group and control group. Chloroform and PEG precipitation methods had the same protein profile on the SDSPAGE. IgY antibody was identified by the presence of bands corresponding with IgY heavy chain (67-70 kDa) and IgY light chain (25 kDa) for both precipitation processes.

Environmentally benign rare earth pigments: effect of calcium dopant and tuning of bandgaps for different color hues

Purpose As there is a strong inducement to develop new colored inorganic materials to substitute the current industrial pigments that are based on toxic metals hazardous to health and the environment, the purpose of this paper is to invent environmentally benign rare earth-based colorants as viable alternatives to the traditional toxic pigment formulations. Herein, the authors developed a series of rare earth pigments having the general formula Ca0.1 Ln0.9 PO4 ( Ln = Y , Pr , mixed rare earth oxides, RE and Di). After studying all the optical properties, the authors have gone for some coloring application in plastic like PMMA. Design/methodology/approach The designed pigments were synthesized by traditional solid-state method. Stoichiometric amounts of each reagent were mixed in an agate mortar and the mixtures were calcined at optimized temperature 1000 °C for 4 h in electric furnace followed by auto–cooling. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction diffraction, UV–vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM), particle size distribution, color coordinates determination, acid/alkali test, thermo gravimetric (TG) analysis and CIE–1976 L*a*b* color scales. Among the various lanthanide ions and calcium ion as dopant, the pigment composition shows various hues ranges from green to yellow. The designed pigments consist of non–toxic elements and were further found to possess high thermal and chemical stability. The pigments were also found to be appropriate candidates for the coloration of polymer substrates like PMMA. Findings The present investigations establish that various color hues can be achieved by the incorporation of suitable chromophore metal ions like calcium in various rare earth host lattice by tuning of the band gaps. The coloring mechanism is based on the strong absorption of the pigments in the blue and red regions due to electronic transitions of the micro states of rare earth ion. The pigment composition shows various hues ranges from green to yellow. The coloring mechanism is based on the tuning of band gap by the dopant like calcium in various rare earth host lattice. In addition, this pigment was chemically and thermally stable. Finally, it has applied in plastics like PMMA. Research limitations/implications Mechanism of the color appearance using band calculations and on possible applications of rare earth phosphate powders as pigments in plastics and paints have not been explored much. However, the properties of the Ca-doped rare earth phosphate implies that this material has a potential to be applied as a satisfactory pigment for coating or coloring except for glaze, which may cause a side reaction at high temperatures, especially taking into consideration the economics and ecologies. The possibility of Ca2+ incorporation in CePO4 with monazite structure-type has been established. Practical implications The designed pigments consist of non-toxic elements and were further found to possess high thermal and chemical stability. The pigments were also found to be appropriate candidates for the coloration of polymer substrates. Thus, the present environmental friendly pigment powders may find potential alternative to the classical toxic inorganic pigments for various applications. Social implications There is a strong incentive to design new colorants based on inorganic materials to substitute for industrial pigments that are based on heavy elements hazardous to health and the environment. However, several industrial yellow pigments such as cadmium yellow (CdS), chrome yellow (PbCrO4) and nickel titanium yellow (TiO2-NiO-Sb2O3) contain the harmful elements (e.g. Cd, Pb, Cr and Sb) for the human body as well as the environment. The designed pigments consist of non-toxic elements and were further found to possess high thermal and chemical stability. The pigments were also found to be appropriate candidates for the coloration of polymer substrates. Thus, the present environmental friendly pigment powders may find potential alternative to the classical toxic inorganic pigments for various applications. Originality/value There is a strong incentive to design new colorants based on inorganic materials to substitute for industrial pigments that are based on heavy elements hazardous to health and the environment. However, several industrial yellow pigments such as cadmium yellow (CdS), chrome yellow (PbCrO4) and nickel titanium yellow (TiO2-NiO-Sb2O3) contain the harmful elements (e.g. Cd, Pb, Cr and Sb) for the human body as well as the environment. So, the authors have developed new class of inorganic pigments that are both non-toxic and environmentally unimpeachable, while preserving or even exceeding the optical, thermal and chemical characteristics of the existing commercial pigments. The developed colorants find practical applications in polymer matrix like PMMA.

Things Always Come in Three: Non-Invasive Investigations of Alexander and Roxane’s Wedding Room in Villa Farnesina

Non-invasive optical spectroscopical analyses were conducted on the three main walls of Alexander and Roxane’s Wedding Room in Villa Farnesina, Rome. The north and the east walls were frescoed by Sodoma in 1519. The decoration of the third wall was subsequent and neither the author nor the period is known. The north and east walls underwent various restorations, some even very invasive. For these reasons, the supposed remaining original parts of the two walls by Sodoma were studied and compared with the third one, aiming to obtain more information about its author and epoch. The results show the use of the same pigments for the three walls. In particular, the same yellow pigments including lead antimonate, the use of enamel blue with Bi impurities whose use is time-limited, and the use of a certain kind of purple hematite. The commonality in the pictorial technique also emerged, especially in the yellow parts, painted in the same way on each wall. This information, and documentary sources, reinforce the hypothesis that the third wall was decorated shortly after the death of Agostino Chigi by someone who was well-acquainted with the materials and techniques used by Sodoma for the other two walls.

Integrative Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Analyses Uncover Metabolic Alterations and Pigment Diversity in Monascus in Response to Different Nitrogen Sources

Natural MPs containing a mixture of red, orange, and yellow pigments are widely used as food coloring agents. MP diversity provides foods with versatile colors and health benefits but, in turn, complicate efforts to achieve maximum yield or desirable combination of pigments during the manufacturing process.

Comparative Study on the Antioxidant Activity of Monascus Yellow Pigments From Two Different Types of Hongqu—Functional Qu and Coloring Qu

Graphical AbstractMonascus yellow pigments (MYPs) in functional Qu (FQ) have a higher antioxidant potential than those in coloring Qu (CQ). The difference in antioxidant activities of MYPs is due to the critical hydroxyl group on C-3′ or C-11.

Mutations in Yellow

Mutations in yellow, a serial arrangement of yellow pigments on rice paper are reflections on botany, viruses and empire.The studies investigate the materiality of yellow, using turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder to make imprecise diagrams; reminiscent of, but neither calligraphy nor painting; gestures that trouble and muddy the taxonomies of yellowness and the historical entanglements between 18th century colonial studies of plant disease, imperial routes and racial capitalism.The invention of “yellow” as a racial description associated with “dirty, lurid, treacherous, suspect, diseased, weak, lazy, melancholy, unproductive” appeared in natural science publications, frequently representing maladies and infectious afflictions to biological and human (European Man) health and reproduction. The images evade scientific conventions of pictorial accuracy that typify botanical illustrations and instead present the colour yellow as medium in non linear, non-teleological “mutations”—present and willfully unproductive, like withdrawal from the descriptive apparatus mapping “yellow” to infection, foreignness and invasion.