Hydrogels Made of Poly-γ-Glutamic Acid and Sugar Alcohols for Enhanced Survival of Probiotic Strains Subjected to Low pH and Freeze Drying

Probiotics are microorganisms that have a beneficial influence on the human gastrointestinal tract. Unfortunately, their viability can be negatively affected by manufacturing, storage conditions and gastrointestinal tract conditions. Therefore, there is a need to develop delivery systems, which can protect probiotics against adverse conditions. Previously, we reported on hydrogels made of poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) and selected PEGs with the potential application as probiotic delivery vehicles. In the next step of research, we decided to develop fully biobased hydrogels with the potential application as probiotic oral-delivery systems. Selected sugar alcohols, erythritol, xylitol and sorbitol, have been used as cross-linkers in the synthesis of γ-PGA-based hydrogels. It was examined if obtained hydrogels enhanced the survival rate of entrapped probiotic strains subjected to acidic conditions. Results have been discussed in relation to the previously reported γ-PGA-PEG hydrogels. Moreover, the possibility of using developed hydrogels as a cryoprotectant was investigated during freeze drying of entrapped probiotic cells.

Characterization of Potential Pollutants from Poly(lactic acid) after the Degradation Process in Soil under Simulated Environmental Conditions

In recent years, the amount of produced petrochemical plastic waste has been growing at an alarming rate. According to the Plastics Europe Market Research Group (PEMRG)/Conversio Market & Strategy GmbH, in 2018 the global production of plastics amounts to 359 million tons, and in Europe—61.8 million tons. More than 80% of all marine litter is plastic, which accumulates in the environment due to its durability. Due to the growing problem, biodegradable polymer products are introduced to the market. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct research on degradation products in order to estimate the risk arising from their presence in the environment. This paper discusses research on compounds that may potentially remain in the soil after the degradation of the double green PLA polymer. The aim of the research was to prove whether products made of PLA, e.g., packaging, films and other waste can release substances harmful to the environment. Therefore, soil was selected as a medium to characterize the substances potentially released from the polymer under conditions simulating the degradation process in the environment. The soil was always used from the same producer. Before the polymer biodegradation process, it was additionally checked for pH, C and N content, number of microorganisms, etc. PLA degradation in soil was carried out in a laboratory accredited by the Polish Accreditation Center (PCA). During the research, soil samples at various stages of the degradation process under laboratory conditions were subjected to both extraction in an aqueous environment and organic solvent extraction The studies used the gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS), as well as pyrolysis gas chromatography (Py-GC/MS). In addition, the study used the gel permeation chromatography (GPC/SEC) allowing to determine the distribution of molar masses, average molar masses and polydispersity, and the infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

Nonenzymatic Deamidation Mechanism on a Glutamine Residue with a C-Terminal Adjacent Glycine Residue: A Computational Mechanistic Study

The deamidation of glutamine (Gln) residues, which occurs non-enzymatically under physiological conditions, triggers protein denaturation and aggregation. Gln residues are deamidated via the cyclic glutarimide intermediates to l-α-, d-α-, l-β-, and d-β-glutamate residues. The production of these biologically uncommon amino acid residues is implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. The reaction rate of Gln deamidation is influenced by the C-terminal adjacent (N +1) residue and is highest in the Gln-glycine (Gly) sequence. Here, we investigated the effect of the (N + 1) Gly on the mechanism of Gln deamidation and the activation barrier using quantum chemical calculations. Energy-minima and transition-state geometries were optimized by the B3LYP density functional theory, and MP2 calculations were used to obtain the single-point energy. The calculated activation barrier (85.4 kJ mol−1) was sufficiently low for the reactions occurring under physiological conditions. Furthermore, the hydrogen bond formation between the catalytic ion and the main chain of Gly on the C-terminal side was suggested to accelerate Gln deamidation by stabilizing the transition state.

Organic Ion-Associate Phase Microextraction/Back-Microextraction for Preconcentration: Determination of Nickel in Environmental Water Using 2-Thenoyltrifluoroacetone via GF-AAS

An ion-associate phase (IAP) microextraction/ back-microextraction system was applied for the enrichment, separation, and detection of trace amounts of nickel from environmental water samples. Thenoyltrifluoroacetone (HTTA) acted not only as a chelating reagent for nickel, but also as a component of the extraction phase, i.e., IAP. Nickel in a 40 mL sample solution was pH-adjusted with phenolsulfonate (PS−) and tetramethylammonium hydroxide and converted by chelation reaction in the presence of thenoyltrifluoroacetonate (TTA−). When benzyldodecyldimethylammonium ion (C12BzDMA+) was added, a suspension of IAP formed in the solution. The IAP consisted of TTA−, a chelating reagent, the PS−, a component of pH buffer, and C12BzDMA+, which helps extract the chelating complex. When the solution was centrifuged, the IAP separated from the suspension and the nickel-TTA chelate was extracted into the bottom phase of the centrifuge tube. After the aqueous phase was taken away, 100 µL of nitric acid (2 M) solution containing phosphate was used to back-microextract nickel from the IAP. The acid phase was measured via graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS). The proposed method facilitated a 400-fold enrichment. The limit of detection was 0.02 µg L−1. The proposed method was applied for the determination of nickel in river water and seawater samples.

Group Contribution Revisited: The Enthalpy of Formation of Organic Compounds with “Chemical Accuracy” Part II

Group contribution (GC) methods to predict thermochemical properties are eminently important to process design. We present a group contribution parametrization for the heat of formation of organic molecules exhibiting chemical accuracy, maximum 1 kcal/mol (4.2 kJ/mol) difference between experiment and model values while minimizing the number of parameters avoiding overfitting and therewith avoiding reduced predictability. Compared to the contemporary literature, this was successfully achieved by employing available literature high-quality and consistent experimental data, optimizing parameters group by group, and introducing additional parameters when chemical understanding was obtained supporting these. A further important result is the observation that the applicability of the group contribution approach breaks down with increasing substitution levels, i.e., more heavily alkyl-substituted molecules, the reason being a serious influence of substitution on the conformation of the flexible part of the entire molecule within particular valence angles and torsional angles affected, which cannot be accounted for by additional GC parameters with fixed numerical values.

Opoka—Sediment Rock as New Type of Hybrid Mineral Filler for Polymer Composites

The work presents a comprehensive profile of the physicochemical characteristics of opoka sedimentary rock in the context of its use as a hybrid filler for thermoplastics. Determining the functional parameters of the studied filler was the main aim of this research. Thermal treatment leads to changes in its morphology and phase composition. A wide range of physicochemical techniques was used, such as low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, FT-IR, TGA, XRD, optical, and electron microscopy. The susceptibility of the material to micronisation was also tested (ball milling). Due to its widespread occurrence, opoka can be an attractive alternative to fillers such as silica or chalk. In order to verify this statement, polypropylene composites thereof were prepared by melt blending and injection molding, and studied by mechanical testing and microscopic imaging.

Carbon–Heteroatom Bond Formation via Coupling Reactions Performed on a Magnetic Nanoparticle Bed

Cross-coupling reactions leading to carbon–heteroatom bonds yield compounds that attract substantial interest due to their role as structural units in many synthetic protocols for bioactive and natural products. Therefore, many research works aim at the improvement of heterogeneous catalytic protocols. We have studied the use of magnetite nanoparticles and solid base compounds in organic synthetic reactions in carbon–heteroatom bond formation because they can be flocculated and dispersed, and reversibly controlled by applying a magnetic field. In this work, we have developed an efficient and simple synthetic approach for the C–O/C–N cross-coupling reaction under ligand-free conditions by using CuI as a catalyst and KF/Fe3O4 as a base. We performed the nucleophilic aromatic substitution of electron-deficient aryl halides and phenols. It was found that both the solvent nature and the base have a profound influence on the reaction process. This approach affords good to excellent yields of arylated products. KF/Fe3O4 displayed convenient magnetic properties and could be easily separated from the reaction using a magnet and recycled several times without significant loss of catalytic activity. This method has been successfully investigated for the Ullmann coupling reaction.

Chemometric Differentiation of Pistachios (Pistacia vera, Greek ‘Aegina’ Variety) from Two Different Harvest Years Using FTIR Spectroscopy and DRIFTS and Disk Techniques

Food quality is a topic of utmost importance as more and more emphasis is placed on quality rather than quantity of products. Previous studies have pointed out the interaction of quality with the harvest year. In this study, 22 Pistacia vera (Greek ‘Aegina’ variety) samples (11 from 2017 and 11 from 2018) were differentiated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and (a) diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and (b) KBr/sample disk techniques. In both years, the pistachios trees’ growing followed standard cultivation methods and similar agronomic conditions. Two chemometric models were developed using partial least squares-discrimination analysis (PLS-DA). DRIFTS proved unable to statistically differentiate the samples (R2 = 0.96266, Q2 = 0.63152). On the contrary, the disk technique completely differentiated the pistachio samples (R2 = 0.99705, Q2 = 0.97719). The 1720–1800 cm−1 region mostly contributed to the discrimination. The disk-FTIR chemometric model is fast, robust, economical, and environmentally friendly for determining pistachio matrix quality.

Intermolecular Interactions and In Vitro Performance of Methyl Anthranilate in Commercial Sunscreen Formulations

In order to afford the required level of broad-spectrum photoprotection against UV-B and UV-A radiation, sunscreens must contain a combination of UV filters. It is important that any interactions between UV filters do not adversely affect their photostability nor the overall photostability of the sunscreen formulation. In this work, we explore the feasibility of using methyl anthranilate (MA) as an alternative to the photo-unstable UV-A filter, avobenzone. From the in vitro studies presented here, we conclude that MA does not provide sufficient UV-A protection on its own but that it is more photostable in formulation than avobenzone. In addition, we found that both octocrylene (OCR) and ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (EHMC), two commonly used UV-B filters, can stabilize MA through quenching of its triplet states, as previously reported, which has a demonstrable effect in formulation. In contrast with previously reported observations for mixtures of EHMC and avobenzone, we found no evidence of [2+2] photocycloadditions taking place between EHMC and MA. This work demonstrates how a clear insight into the photophysics and photochemistry of UV filters, as well as the interactions between them, can inform formulation design to predict sunscreen performance.

Features of Ni-W Plating Film Obtained by the Jet-Flow System

Chromium plating has excellent corrosion resistance and is widely used in industry. However, it also has a high environmental load. As an alternative, electric Ni-W plating is attracting attention. However, it is not widely used because the stress is high and the film is prone to cracks. Furthermore, although it is necessary to thicken the film to improve the corrosion resistance, there are also problems that the current efficiency is low and the plating time is long. Therefore, we investigate a film with high corrosion resistance by using the jet-flow plating method that enables plating at a high current density. Our results show that the jet-flow plating enables plating of 50 µm, and high corrosion resistance is obtained by randomly generating fine cracks in the film at 20 A·dm−2. We also found that the stress changed depending on the current density and shape of the crack also changed.