Absorbency of Biodegradable Materials for Menstrual Hygiene Management Products in Low-and Middle-income Countries

IntroductionGirls in low-and middle-income countries struggle to maintain good menstrual hygiene in part due to a lack of affordable sanitary products. The unaffordability of reliable sanitary products can lead to school absenteeism and is a barrier to education attainment and gender equality for girls in low income contexts. Further the lack of adequate disposal facilities can lead to social embarrassment and environmental pollution.MethodsLow-cost biodegradable absorbents (cotton terry cloth, linen, hemp cloth and bamboo wadding) were investigated in gelatine solution in terms of their absorptivity for use in menstrual hygiene.ResultsBamboo wadding exhibits the highest absorptivity index (7.86), greater than cotton terry cloth (0.84), hemp cloth (1.4), linen (1.57) and a commercial sanitary pad (4.38).ConclusionsThough the absorptivity index of bamboo wadding is promising, especially in the light of the vast availability of bamboo in tropical low-and middle income countries, challenges lie in overcoming complex extraction processes from bamboo plants which is discussed.

DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A FAST AND SIMPLE HPLC-UV METHOD TO DETERMINE CAFFEINE IN GUARANA (Paullinia cupana) FOOD SUPPLEMENTS

Caffeine and guarana are safe foods according to the American (FDA) and Brazilian (ANVISA) health agencies. However, data regarding the composition, quality, and safety of guarana-based food supplements sold in Brazil are limited. Most of the methods used for quantification of caffeine and other guarana chemical markers are based on complex extraction techniques as well as on gradient elution and do not evaluate the matrix effect nor the uncertainty estimation measurement. A simple and selective method for caffeine detection has been developed and validated using HPLC-UV. It shows linearity between 1 and 10 µg mL-1, has a significant matrix effect (p < 0.05) and its expanded uncertainty varies from 6.9 to 16.7%. Other parameters (selectivity, recovery, precision, robustness, limits of detection, and quantification) were satisfactory. The present study has analyzed 30 commercial samples of guarana-based food supplements (powders and capsules). Powder samples have shown an average caffeine level of 25.27 ± 5.20 mg g-1 while capsules 28.53 ± 13.81 mg g-1. No significant difference between the two types of samples has been observed (p > 0.005).

A High-Throughput Method for the Comprehensive Analysis of Terpenes and Terpenoids in Medicinal Cannabis Biomass

Cannabis and its secondary metabolite content have recently seen a surge in research interest. Cannabis terpenes and terpenoids in particular are increasingly the focus of research efforts due to the possibility of their contribution to the overall therapeutic effect of medicinal cannabis. Current methodology to quantify terpenes in cannabis biomass mostly relies on large quantities of biomass, long extraction protocols, and long GC gradient times, often exceeding 60 min. They are therefore not easily applicable in the high-throughput environment of a cannabis breeding program. The method presented here, however, is based on a simple hexane extract from 40 mg of biomass, with 50 μg/mL dodecane as internal standard, and a gradient of less than 30 min. The method can detect 48 individual terpenes and terpenoids and was validated for selectivity, linearity, LOD/LOQ, precision, intermediate precision, and accuracy (recovery) for 22 terpenes and terpenoids. The validation parameters are comparable to previously published studies that employ significantly longer runtimes and/or more complex extraction protocols. It is currently being applied to medicinal cannabis precision breeding programs.

Complex Extraction of Metals in an Aqueous Two-Phase System Based on Poly(Ethylene Oxide) 1500 and Sodium Nitrate

This article presents an ecologically safe aqueous two-phase system based on poly(ethylene oxide) with a molecular weight of 1500, designed for complex extraction of Ni(II), Co(II), Fe(III), Mn(II), Zn(II), Cu(II), and Al(III) from nitrate solutions. A kinetic dependence has been investigated for a distribution ratio for the metals examined. The influence of pH-values, temperature, initial metal concentration, and nitric acid content have on the extraction of a wide range of metals in the heterogeneous poly(ethylene oxide) 1500-NaNO3-H2O system has been discovered. As a result, the complex extraction of metals (EMe > 60%) was achieved in one step of extraction without introducing additional chemicals into the system.