Effect of hydrogen peroxide treatment on the concentration of volatile compound in coriander seeds oil

Coriander seeds essential oil have shown some remarkable biological properties and health benefits. The coriander seeds used in Indonesia are imported and also treated with hydrogen peroxide before reaching consumers. Hydrogen peroxide is known to be a strong oxidizer, but so far, there has been no information that explains its effects on the essential oil composition and concentration in coriander seed. This study aims to determine the effect of using hydrogen peroxide and the drying method on the composition of essential oils in coriander seeds. Yield and volatile oil compounds were measured, and the results were compared between the hydrogen peroxide concentration (0,35 and 50% ) and drying method (mechanical drying (50 ℃) and room temperature drying). GC-MS analysis detected linalool as the most common volatile constituent in all treatments. The highest concentration of linalool compounds (70.16%) was found in seeds without hydrogen peroxide (0%) treatment combined with mechanical drying, followed by without hydrogen peroxide (0% H2O2) combined with room drying (23.74%), then by 35% hydrogen peroxide combined with room drying (18.71%), 35% hydrogen peroxidecombined with mechanical drying (18.84%), 50% hydrogen peroxide combined with room drying (22.18%) and by 50% hydrogen peroxide combined with mechanical drying (15.45%). Therefore, the yield was clearly affected only by hydrogen peroxide treatment where no hydrogen peroxide treatment gave the highest yield. The drying method did not have any significant effect on yield.

The Modulation of PCSK9 and LDLR by Supercritical CO2 Extracts of Mentha longifolia and Isolated Piperitone Oxide, an In Vitro Study

In the present study the ability of supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) extracts of M. longifolia L. leaves to modulate low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) expression was evaluated in cultured human hepatoma cell lines Huh7 and HepG2. Two SCO2 extracts, one oil (ML-SCO2) and a semisolid (MW-SCO2), were subjected to detailed chemical characterization by mono- and bidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (1D, 2D-NMR), gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Chemical analysis revealed significant amounts of fatty acids, phytosterols and terpenoids. ML-SCO2 was able to induce LDLR expression at a dose of 60 µg/mL in HuH7 and HepG2 cell lines. Furthermore, ML-SCO2 reduced PCSK9 secretion in a concentration-dependent manner in both cell lines. Piperitone oxide, the most abundant compound of the volatile constituent of ML-SCO2 (27% w/w), was isolated and tested for the same targets, showing a very effective reduction of PCSK9 expression. The overall results revealed the opportunity to obtain a new nutraceutical ingredient with a high amount of phytosterols and terpenoids using the SCO2 extraction of M. longifolia L., a very well-known botanical species used as food. Furthermore, for the first time we report the high activity of piperitone oxide in the reduction of PCSK9 expression.

Low-cost, simple and eco-friendly biosynthesis of CeO2-NPs using extract of Pelargonium hortorum for the photocatalytic and antioxidant applications

In this paper, firstly the phytochemical composition in the aqueous extract of Pelargonium, growing wildly in the center of Iran, was studied. Folin–Ciocalteu and Aluminum chloride methods and the GC/MS technique were used to determine the total phenolic, flavonoid contents, and volatile constituents in the extract, respectively. The amounts of the total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the extract were found to be 136.5 mg GA/g and 63.9 mg RU/g, respectively. Twenty-one compounds, representing 15 (about 80.0%) of the total volatile constituents were identified. The main components of the volatile constituent were α-pinene (25.28%) and fenchyl acetate (20.63%). Secondly, a fast, simple, and eco-friendly biosynthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) were investigated using the extract of Pelargonium as a natural reducing and stabilizing agent. Several advance techniques such as Ultraviolet-Visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microcopy (FESEM), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Brunaure Emmett-Teller (BET) were used for the analysis and characterization of the synthesized nanoparticles. The results of the characterization analysis showed that the prepared nanoparticles were spherical in shape, with an average size of 28 nm and zeta potential of -25.8 mV, and had 33.84 m2/g BET surface area, 9.31 nm mane diameter pore, and a total pore volume of 0.078 cm3/g. Finally, the practical applications including the antioxidant and photocatalyst activity of the biosynthesized CeO2-NPs were evaluated. An analysis of antioxidant and catalytic activities showed that the biosynthesized CeO2-NPs have a good ability of scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical with the IC50 value of 42.7 µg/mL and also good reduction ability of hexavalent chromium {Cr(VI)} ions with a reduction efficiency of 94% in an aqueous solution containing 10 mg/L of Cr(VI) of ion with natural pH of 5.5 and CeO2-NPs dose of 200 mg/L during 60 min.

Recent Developments in Nanomaterials-Modified Membranes for Improved Membrane Distillation Performance

Membrane distillation (MD) is a thermally induced membrane separation process that utilizes vapor pressure variance to permeate the more volatile constituent, typically water as vapor, across a hydrophobic membrane and rejects the less volatile components of the feed. Permeate flux decline, membrane fouling, and wetting are some serious challenges faced in MD operations. Thus, in recent years, various studies have been carried out on the modification of these MD membranes by incorporating nanomaterials to overcome these challenges and significantly improve the performance of these membranes. This review provides a comprehensive evaluation of the incorporation of new generation nanomaterials such as quantum dots, metalloids and metal oxide-based nanoparticles, metal organic frameworks (MOFs), and carbon-based nanomaterials in the MD membrane. The desired characteristics of the membrane for MD operations, such as a higher liquid entry pressure (LEPw), permeability, porosity, hydrophobicity, chemical stability, thermal conductivity, and mechanical strength, have been thoroughly discussed. Additionally, methodologies adopted for the incorporation of nanomaterials in these membranes, including surface grafting, plasma polymerization, interfacial polymerization, dip coating, and the efficacy of these modified membranes in various MD operations along with their applications are addressed. Further, the current challenges in modifying MD membranes using nanomaterials along with prominent future aspects have been systematically elaborated.

Phytochemical Study of Eight Medicinal Plants of the Lamiaceae Family Traditionally Used as Tea in the Sharri Mountains Region of the Balkans

In the present study, eight plant species belonging to Lamiaceae family were identified as ingredients for herbal teas in the region of Sharri Mountains: Thymus serpyllum, Rosmarinus officinalis, Melissa officinalis, Origanum vulgare, Mentha longifolia, Ocimum basilicum, Teucrium chamaedrys, and Sideritis scardica, respectively. Chemical composition of essential oils obtained from these species was analyzed using GC-MS and GC-FID with the aim of examining their volatile compound profiles, responsible for their respective flavors and fragrance. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed with the aim of grouping plant species under study on the basis of their chemical composition. Experimental data revealed the typical volatile constituent pattern for the Lamiaceae family. Monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, responsible for flavor and medicinal use of these plants, were the most abundant groups of the volatile constituents. PCA data analysis resulted in the grouping of these analyzed species in four principal clusters.

The sensitivity of PM_2.5 acidity to meteorological parameters and chemical composition changes: 10-year records from six Canadian monitoring sites

Aerosol pH is difficult to measure directly but can be calculated if the chemical composition is known with sufficient accuracy and precision to calculate the aerosol water content and the H+ concentration through the equilibrium among acids and their conjugate bases. In practical terms, simultaneous measurements of at least one semi-volatile constituent, e.g. NH3 or HNO3, are required to provide a constraint on the calculation of pH. Long-term records of aerosol pH are scarce due to the limited monitoring of NH3 in conjunction with PM2.5. In this study, 10-year (2007–2016) records of pH of PM2.5 at six eastern Canadian sites were calculated using the E-AIM II model with the input of gaseous NH3, gaseous HNO3 and major water-soluble inorganic ions in PM2.5 provided by Canada's National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS) Program. Clear seasonal cycles of aerosol pH were found with lower pH (∼2) in summer and higher pH (∼3) in winter consistently across all six sites, while the day-to-day variations of aerosol pH were higher in winter compared to summer. Tests of the sensitivity of aerosol pH to meteorological parameters demonstrate that the changes in ambient temperature largely drive the seasonal cycle of aerosol pH. The sensitivity of pH to chemical composition shows that pH has different responses to the changes in chemical composition in different seasons. During summertime, aerosol pH was mainly determined by temperature with limited impact from changes in NHx or sulfate concentrations. However, in wintertime, both meteorological parameters and chemical composition contribute to the variations in aerosol pH, resulting in the larger variation during wintertime. This study reveals that the sensitivity of aerosol pH to chemical composition is distinctly different under different meteorological conditions and needs to be carefully examined for any particular region.

DETERMINATION OF ESSENTIAL OIL COMPOSITION, PHENOLIC CONTENT, AND ANTIOXIDANT, ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITIES OF MARIGOLD (CALENDULA OFFICINALIS L.) CULTIVATED IN ALGERIA

Microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD) was used as an ecofriendly method to extract the essential oils from flowers and leaves of Calendula officinalis L. cultivated in Algeria. The results obtained were compared with the conventional extraction method, hydrodistillation (HD), and analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and GC-MS. For flowers oils, 33 compounds were identified with HD method vs 20 compounds with MAHD method. For leaves, 26 compounds were identified with HD method vs 19 compounds identified with MAHD method. It is interesting to note, furthermore, that the use of MAHD method during 90 min allowed us to obtain relatively similar yields than HD method during 180 min. The main abundant volatile constituent was αcadinol with 31.9±0.71% for HD vs 39.7±0.26% for MAHD in leaves oils and 32.3±0.26% for HD vs 37.1±0.30% for MAHD in flowers oils. The oxygenated sesquiterpens was the most represented group of natural compounds contributing to the chemical composition in all oils. In the other hand, extraction of total phenolic compounds (TPC) and total flavonoids (TFC) was affected by the solvent type and, thus, 100% methanol was the better extraction solvent for both leaves and flowers. Highest levels were obtained from leaves. The highest antioxidant activity was recorded for leaves extract with 100% methanol. These values indicated a weak antioxidant activity compared to antioxidant standards. A correlation was established between the phenolic and flavonoids contents and the antioxidant activity of the crude extracts. A moderate to great antibacterial activity was observed against Gram+ bacteria. Any antibacterial activity was detected against fungi strains and Gram- bacteria.