Effects of Alkaline-Reduced Water on Gastrointestinal Diseases

Living a healthy lifestyle is the most important need in the world today. However, oxidative stress (OS) is caused by several stress-inducing factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, chronic diseases, and inflammatory responses, oxygen-free radicals are produced in excess and can damage major organs in the body. This phenomenon has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, including gastritis, constipation, and inflammatory bowel diseases, which include Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, functional dyspepsia, acid reflux, diverticular disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. In this review article, we provide a brief overview of the role of OS in the pathogenesis of GI disorders. Additionally, we discuss the therapeutic role of alkaline-reduced water (ARW) on GI diseases and existing studies on ARW related to GI diseases. Furthermore, we believe that findings from this review article will enhance the knowledge of the readers on the role of ARW on OS and inflammation-based GI diseases.

The Role of Birch Tar in Changing the Physicochemical and Biocidal Properties of Polylactide-Based Films

The objective of this study was to produce bactericidal polymer films containing birch tar (BT). The produced polymer films contain PLA, plasticiser PEG (5% wt.) and birch tar (1, 5 and 10% wt.). Compared to plasticised PLA, films with BT were characterised by reduced elongation at break and reduced water vapour permeability, which was the lowest in the case of film with 10% wt. BT content. Changes in the morphology of the produced materials were observed by performing scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis; the addition of BT caused the surface of the film to be non-uniform and to contain recesses. FTIR analysis of plasticised PLA/BT films showed that the addition of birch tar did not change the crystallinity of the obtained materials. According to ISO 22196: 2011, the PLA film with 10% wt. BT content showed the highest antibacterial effect against the plant pathogens A. tumefaciens, X. campestris, P. brassicacearum, P. corrugata, P. syringae. It was found that the introduction of birch tar to plasticised PLA leads to a material with biocidal effect and favourable physicochemical and structural properties, which classifies this material for agricultural and horticultural applications.

Features of the Chemical Interaction of 2-Furaldehyde and 1,3,5-Trihydroxybenzene in an Alkaline Medium to Obtain a Plasticizing Additive

The paper presents data on the study of the polycondensation of 2-furaldehyde and 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene in an alkaline medium to obtain a plasticizing additive. Results are presented on the study of the products of the separate interaction of 1,3,5-trioxybenzene and 2-furaldehyde with NaOH, and the joint polycondensation of 1,3,5-trioxybenzene with 2-furaldehyde with NaOH by UV spectroscopy. The structure of the product of the interaction of 1,3,5-trioxybenzene with 2-furaldehyde in an alkaline medium was studied by IR spectroscopy. Stronger C–H bonds appear in the IR spectrum and stretching vibrations of the C = O group are not observed, which confirms the production of a new compound. The optimal dosage of the developed plasticizing additive has been established as 0.3% of the cement mass (calculated on dry matter). The developed plasticizing additive can significantly reduce the water-cement ratio while maintaining the strength characteristics of cement compositions. In addition, when using the additive, the strength characteristics are significantly increased with a reduced water-cement ratio.

Comparative study of certain antioxidants-electrolyzed reduced water, tocotrienol and vitamin E in heat-induced oxidative damage and performance in broilers

This study was designed to examine the anti-oxidative effect of electrolyzed reduced water, tocotrienol and vitamin E on heat-induced oxidative damage and performance in an experimental model in broilers. On day 12, broiler chickens were subjected to one of the following dietary groups; (i) basal diet and untreated drinking water (control), (ii) basal diet and electrolyzed reduced drinking water (ERW), (iii) basal diet supplemented with 2% rice bran scum oil (as a source of tocotreinol) and untreated drinking water (TOCO), and (iv) basal diet supplemented with vitamin E at 50 mg/kg and untreated drinking water (VITE). On day 14, chickens were exposed to either 34°C continuously for a period of 14 days, or maintained at 24°C on the same diet. Heat-exposed birds consumed significantly less feed resulting in lower weight gain and feed efficiency compared with birds kept at 24°C. Skeletal muscle and liver MDA levels were significantly increased in heat-exposed control birds. The heat-exposed ERW chicks showed significantly improved growth performance and lower levels of MDA contents in tissues than heat-stressed control broilers. Following heat exposure, TOCO and VITE chicks did not exhibit improved performance, while those chicks significantly reduced oxidative damage to the various organs. The results demonstrate that electrolyzed reduced water, tocotrienol and vitamin E effectively protect heat-induced oxidative damage in broilers but they do not improve growth performance except electrolyzed reduced water treatment.

Lead Accumulation of Siam Weed (Chromolaena odorata) Grown in Hydroponics Under Drought-stressed Conditions

The phytoremediation potential of Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata) was tested in lead (Pb) contaminated nutrient media with 5% (w/v) of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 induced drought stress conditions. The plant was treated with 0, 5, 10, 20, and 50 mg/L Pb for 15 days. Different concentrations of Pb or in combination with PEG had no effect on plant growth parameters. Drought reduced water content (WC) (p<0.05), but did not affect the reduction of chlorophyll content and photochemical efficiency in plant tissues after 15 days of treatment. Under drought conditions, plants showed the largest Pb accumulation in roots (5,503.7 mg/kg) and exhibited the highest uptake at 50 mg/L solution (18.24 g/plant), but the translocation factor values (TFs) of Pb from root to shoot were all less than 1. Under both drought and non-drought conditions, the bioconcentration factor values (BCFs) decreased with increasing Pb concentrations. According to BCFs and TFs, C. odorata may be promising for phytostabilization of Pb. Based on high biomass, tolerance, and Pb uptake, the result of this hydroponic study test reveals that C. odorata has a good potential for developing Pb phytoremediation strategies in drought-stressed conditions.

Hydrodynamic assessment of object on the sewer network in the city of Trnava

As in most Slovak cities, there is a combined sewer network in the city of Trnava. Therefore, combined sewer overflow (CSO) must be provided on these networks in order to mix rainwater and sewage water. The purpose of these CSO’s is to reduce the amount of rainwater supplied to the treatment plant and to discharge part of the rainwater to the recipient. However, these waters contain various contaminants, including coarse solids, fine suspended solids, and solutes. Due to this, reduced water quality was recorded in the Trnávka recipient. This reduced quality is also due to the increased number of reliefs as prescribed by Government Regulation n.269/2010. The aim of the work is the analysis and selection of unsuitable relief chambers that do not meet the given limits. Hydrodynamic simulations are performed on these chambers, which demonstrate the need to reduce the amount of rainwater or reconstruction of CSO’s.

Anti-Oxidative Effect of Weak Alkaline Reduced Water in RAW 264.7 Murine Macrophage Cells

Excessive oxidative stress (OS) is a common cause of various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and obesity; thus, an anti-oxidative solution is essential for the improvement of human health. Increasing evidence suggests that alkaline reduced water (ARW), especially between pH 9.5–10.0, has antioxidant capacity; however, relatively few studies have reported the effect of weak ARW at pH 8.5 on OS, especially in vitro. This study was conducted to evaluate the anti-oxidative efficacy of weak ARW with negative oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and relatively high hydrogen (H2) concentration, as compared to tap water (TW) and ARW at pH 9.5. RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells, stimulated by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce OS, were used as a control (Con) and then treated with TW and ARW at pH 8.5 (ARW_8.5) and pH 9.5 (ARW_9.5) at different concentrations (0.1%, 1%, and 10% v/v). Results showed that cell viability was significantly restored after treatment with both ARW_8.5 and ARW_9.5 compared to Con/H2O2 and Con/LPS, while TW treatment did not induce significant changes. Levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), Ca2+, catalase, and glutathione peroxide (GPx) showed significant differences in a concentration-dependent manner in ARW_8.5 and ARW_9.5 groups compared to Con/H2O2 and Con/LPS groups. Likewise, the expression of p-p38, p-JNK, and p-ERK was also significantly reduced in the ARW-treated groups, but not in the TW group. In conclusion, ARW_8.5 exhibited anti-oxidative effects through the regulation of the MAPK signaling pathway in RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells, indicating the health-promoting potential of weak ARW through daily intake.

Residential Flashover Prevention with Reduced Water Flow: Phase 2

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a residential flashover prevention system with reduced water flow requirements relative to a residential sprinkler system designed to meet NFPA~13D requirements. The flashover prevention system would be designed for retrofit applications where water supplies are limited. In addition to examining the water spray's impact on fire growth, this study utilized thermal tenability criteria as defined in UL 199, Standard for Automatic Sprinklers for Fire-Protection Service. The strategy investigated was to use full cone spray nozzles that would discharge water low in the fire room and directly onto burning surfaces of the contents in the room. Where as current sprinkler design discharges water in a manner that cools the hot gas layer, wets the walls and wets the surface of the contents in the fire room. A series of eight full-scale, compartment fire experiments with residential furnishings were conducted with low flow nozzles. While the 23~lpm (6~gpm) of water was the same between experiments, the discharge density or water flux around the area of ignition varied between 0.3~mm/min (0.008~gpm/ft**2) and 1.8~mm/min (0.044~gpm/ft**2). Three of the experiments prevented flashover. Five of the experiments resulted in the regrowth of the fire while the water was flowing. Regrowth of the fire led to untenable conditions, per UL 199 criteria, in the fire room. At approximately the same time as the untenability criteria were reached, the second sprinkler in the hallway activated. In a completed system, the activation of the second sprinkler would reduce the water flow to the fire room, which would potentially lead to flashover. The variations in the burning behavior of the sofa resulted in shielded fires which led to the loss of effectiveness of the reduced flow solid cone water sprays. As a result of these variations, a correlation between discharge density at the area of ignition and fire suppression performance could not be determined given the limited number of experiments. An additional experiment using an NFPA~13D sprinkler system, flowing 30~lpm (8 gpm), demonstrated more effective suppression than any of the experiments with a nozzle. The success of the sprinkler compared with the unreliable suppression performance of the lower flow nozzles supports the minimum discharge density requirements of 2~mm/min (0.05~gpm/ft**2) from NFPA~13D. The low flow nozzle system tested in this study reliably delayed fire growth, but would not reliably prevent flashover.