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Biomolecules Jun 2024Among the grapes, is a winegrape variety characterised by a high content of free and glycosylated monoterpenoids, which gives wines very intense notes of ripe fruit...
Among the grapes, is a winegrape variety characterised by a high content of free and glycosylated monoterpenoids, which gives wines very intense notes of ripe fruit and flowers. The aromatic bouquet of is strongly influenced by the high concentration of linalool, geraniol, linalool oxides, limonene, α-terpineol, citronellol, hotrienol, diendiols, -8-hydroxy linalool, geranic acid and myrcene, that give citrus, rose, and peach notes. Except for quali-quantitative analysis, no investigations regarding the isotopic values of the target volatile compounds in grapes and wines are documented in the literature. Nevertheless, the analysis of the stable isotope ratio represents a modern and powerful tool used by the laboratories responsible for official consumer protection, for food quality and genuineness assessment. To this aim, the aromatic compounds extracted from grapes and wine were analysed both by GC-MS/MS, to define the aroma profiles, and by GC-C/Py-IRMS, for a preliminary isotope compound-specific investigation. Seventeen samples of grapes were collected during the harvest season in 2021 from two Italian regions renowned for the cultivation of this aromatic variety, Trentino Alto Adige and Veneto, and the corresponding wines were produced at micro-winery scale. The GC-MS/MS analysis confirmed the presence of the typical terpenoids both in glycosylated and free forms, responsible for the characteristic aroma of the variety, while the compound-specific isotope ratio analysis allowed us to determine the carbon (δC) and hydrogen (δH) isotopic signatures of the major volatile compounds for the first time.
Topics: Volatile Organic Compounds; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Wine; Vitis; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Carbon Isotopes; Fruit; Odorants
PubMed: 38927113
DOI: 10.3390/biom14060710 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024The development of nanomaterials has been speedily established in recent years, yet nanoparticles synthesized by traditional methods suffer unacceptable toxicity and the...
The development of nanomaterials has been speedily established in recent years, yet nanoparticles synthesized by traditional methods suffer unacceptable toxicity and the sustainability of the procedure for synthesizing such nanoparticles is inadequate. Consequently, green biosynthesis, which employs biopolymers, is gaining attraction as an environmentally sound alternative to less sustainable approaches. Chitosan-encapsulated nanoparticles exhibit exceptional antibacterial properties, offering a wide range of uses. Chitosan, obtained from shrimp shells, aided in the environmentally friendly synthesis of high-purity zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) with desirable features such as the extraction yield (41%), the deacetylation (88%), and the crystallinity index (74.54%). The particle size of ZnO NPs was 12 nm, while that of chitosan-ZnO NPs was 21 nm, and the bandgap energies of these nanomaterials were 3.98 and 3.48, respectively. The strong antibacterial action was demonstrated by ZnO NPs, chitosan-ZnO NPs, and chitosan-ZnO/PVP, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria, making them appropriate for therapeutic use. The photocatalytic degradation abilities were also assessed for all nanoparticles. At a concentration of 6 × 10 M, chitosan removed 90.5% of the methylene blue (MB) dye, ZnO NPs removed 97.4%, chitosan-coated ZnO NPs removed 99.6%, while chitosan-ZnO/PVP removed 100%. In the case of toluidine blue (TB), at a concentration of 4 × 10 M, the respective efficiencies were 96.8%, 96.8%, 99.5%, and 100%, respectively. Evaluation of radical scavenger activity revealed increased scavenging of ABTS and DPPH radicals by chitosan-ZnO/PVP compared to individual zinc oxide or chitosan-ZnO, where the IC50 results were 0.059, 0.092, 0.079 mg/mL, respectively, in the ABTS test, and 0.095, 0.083, 0.061, and 0.064 mg/mL in the DPPH test, respectively. Moreover, in silico toxicity studies were conducted to predict the organ-specific toxicity through ProTox II software. The obtained results suggest the probable safety and the absence of organ-specific toxicity with all the tested samples.
Topics: Chitosan; Zinc Oxide; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Catalysis; Nanoparticles; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Metal Nanoparticles; Biphenyl Compounds; Green Chemistry Technology
PubMed: 38926522
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65579-z -
Nature Communications Jun 2024Suppressing the kinetically favorable lattice oxygen oxidation mechanism pathway and triggering the adsorbate evolution mechanism pathway at the expense of activity are...
Suppressing the kinetically favorable lattice oxygen oxidation mechanism pathway and triggering the adsorbate evolution mechanism pathway at the expense of activity are the state-of-the-art strategies for Ru-based electrocatalysts toward acidic water oxidation. Herein, atomically dispersed Ru species are anchored into an acidic stable vinyl-linked 2D covalent organic framework with unique crossed π-conjugation, termed as COF-205-Ru. The crossed π-conjugated structure of COF-205-Ru not only suppresses the dissolution of Ru through strong Ru-N motifs, but also reduces the oxidation state of Ru by multiple π-conjugations, thereby activating the oxygen coordinated to Ru and stabilizing the oxygen vacancies during oxygen evolution process. Experimental results including X-ray absorption spectroscopy, in situ Raman spectroscopy, in situ powder X-ray diffraction patterns, and theoretical calculations unveil the activated oxygen with elevated energy level of O 2p band, decreased oxygen vacancy formation energy, promoted electrochemical stability, and significantly reduced energy barrier of potential determining step for acidic water oxidation. Consequently, the obtained COF-205-Ru displays a high mass activity with 2659.3 A g, which is 32-fold higher than the commercial RuO, and retains long-term durability of over 280 h. This work provides a strategy to simultaneously promote the stability and activity of Ru-based catalysts for acidic water oxidation.
PubMed: 38926414
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49834-5 -
The Science of the Total Environment Jun 2024Human urine contains 9 g/L of nitrogen (N) and 0.7 g/L of phosphorus (P). The recovery of N and P from urine helps close the nutrient loop and increase resource... (Review)
Review
Human urine contains 9 g/L of nitrogen (N) and 0.7 g/L of phosphorus (P). The recovery of N and P from urine helps close the nutrient loop and increase resource circularity in the sewage treatment sector. Urine contributes an average of 80 % N and 50 % P in sewage, whereby urine source segregation could reduce the burden of nutrient removal in sewage treatment plants (STPs) but result in N and P deficiency and unintended negative consequences. This review examines the potential impacts of N and P deficiency on the removal of organic carbon and nutrients, sludge characteristics and greenhouse gas emissions in activated sludge processes. The details of how these impacts affect the operation of STPs were also included. This review helps foresee operational challenges that established STPs may face when dealing with nutrient-deficient sewage in a future where source separation of urine is the norm. The findings indicate that the requirement of nitrification-denitrification and biological P removal processes could shrink at urine segregation above 80 % and 100 %, respectively. Organic carbon, N and biological P removal processes can be severely affected under full urine segregation. The decrease in solid retention time due to urine segregation increases treatment capacity up to 48 %. Sludge flocculation and settleability would deteriorate due to changes in extracellular polymeric substances and induce various forms of bulking. Beneficially, N deficiency reduces nitrous oxide emissions. These findings emphasise the importance of considering and preparing for impacts caused by urine source segregation-induced nutrient deficiency in sewage treatment processes.
PubMed: 38925384
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174174 -
Brazilian Dental Journal 2024This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of calcium hypochlorite (Ca (OCl)2) and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) using confocal laser scanning microscopy...
This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of calcium hypochlorite (Ca (OCl)2) and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and dentin organic matrix alteration by picrosirius staining and light microscopy (LM). Samples of human extracted teeth were infected with Enterococcus faecalis by centrifugation of the bacterial suspension and were treated with Ca(OCl)2 or NaOCl at 0.5%, 2.5%, and 6% for 15, 30, and 60 seconds. CLSM and viability staining were used to quantitatively analyze the proportions of dead/live bacteria in the canal lumen and border of the root canal. The data were analyzed by ANOVA and Fisher test. For LM analysis, one hundred bovine teeth were randomly divided into 10 test groups (n=10): G1- Without treatment; G2- 17% EDTA; G3- 6% NaOCl; G4- 6% NaOCl + EDTA; G5- 0.5% Ca(OCl)2; G6- 0.5% Ca(OCl)2 + EDTA; G7- 2.5% Ca(OCl)2; G8- 2.5% Ca(OCl)2 + EDTA; G9- 6% Ca(OCl)2; G10- 6% Ca(OCl)2 + EDTA. The samples were fragmented and stained with Picrosirius. Data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn (P<0.05). There was a strong correlation between the results of the canal lumen and the border of the root canal (r=0.962). Both hypochlorites at a concentration of 0.5% showed less microbial reduction compared to 2.5% and 6% (P<0.05). There was less antimicrobial activity at 15 seconds compared to 30 and 60 seconds (P<0.05). Ca(OCl)2 and NaOCl showed similar results at the same concentrations (P>0.05). In conclusion, Ca(OCl)2 caused fewer alterations to the dentin organic matrix at concentrations of 0.5% and 2.5%. Ca(OCl)2 presents antimicrobial activity similar to NaOCl, and collagen damage is concentration-dependent.
Topics: Sodium Hypochlorite; Dentin; Calcium Compounds; Enterococcus faecalis; Collagen; Humans; Anti-Infective Agents; Root Canal Irrigants; Cattle; Microscopy, Confocal; Animals; Dental Pulp Cavity; In Vitro Techniques
PubMed: 38922251
DOI: 10.1590/0103-6440202405771 -
Toxics Jun 2024The mercury cell manufacturing process, which has been extensively used in chlor-alkali plants to produce chlorine and caustic soda by electrolysis, represents a major...
The mercury cell manufacturing process, which has been extensively used in chlor-alkali plants to produce chlorine and caustic soda by electrolysis, represents a major source of Hg environmental pollution. At Saline di Volterra (Tuscany, Italy), solution mining by pumping water into halite deposits was applied to produce brines for a mercury-cell chlor-alkali plant. The Hg-contaminated, exhausted brines were pumped back at depth into the rock salt field in order to renew the available resources. Activities ceased in 1994, following the leakage dispersion of highly contaminated Hg(0)-bearing brines into the environment. The mercury content in the soil, measured during a survey conducted in 2000, reached 334 mg/kg, highlighting diffuse contamination in the floodplain. By 2009, the Hg concentration had generally decreased and was mostly confined to the topsoil layer. In order to evaluate the present Hg soil pollution, a geochemical survey was carried out in 2023, almost thirty years after the contamination event. The obtained data indicated the occurrence of legacy Hg, which reached 25.5 mg/kg in some soil samples. Speciation analysis for the most contaminated soil revealed that Hg(0) represented about 17.3% of the total Hg and that water-soluble and organic Hg fractions were negligible. These results suggest that the originally released metallic mercury has volatilized and likely oxidized, becoming practically immobile in the soil. A risk assessment, performed by applying Hg speciation analysis, indicated that the mercury in the soil does not carry a risk of non-cancerous effects for different exposure routes in case of subsequent use of the site and that the formerly contaminated area can now be converted into a leisure area.
PubMed: 38922116
DOI: 10.3390/toxics12060436 -
Toxics Jun 2024Fly ash, a type of solid waste generated in power plants, can be utilized as a catalyst carrier to enhance its value-added potential. Common methods often involve using...
Fly ash, a type of solid waste generated in power plants, can be utilized as a catalyst carrier to enhance its value-added potential. Common methods often involve using a large amount of alkali for preprocessing, resulting in stable quartz and mullite forming silicate dissolution. This leads to an increased specific surface area and pore structure. In this study, we produced a catalyst composed of MnO/NiOOH supported on fly ash by directly employing nickel hydroxide and potassium permanganate to generate metal active sites over the fly ash surface while simultaneously creating a larger specific surface area and pore structure. The ozone catalytic oxidation performance of this catalyst was evaluated using sodium acetate as the target organic matter. The experimental results demonstrated that an optimal removal efficiency of 57.5% for sodium acetate was achieved, surpassing even that of MnO/NiOOH supported catalyst by using γ-AlO. After loading of MnO/NiOOH, an oxygen vacancy is formed on the surface of fly ash, which plays an indirect oxidation effect on sodium acetate due to the transformation of ozone to •O and •OH over this oxygen vacancy. The reaction process parameters, including varying concentrations of ozone, sodium acetate, and catalyst dosage, as well as pH value and the quantitative analysis of formed free radicals, were examined in detail. This work demonstrated that fly ash could be used as a viable catalytic material for wastewater treatment and provided a new solution to the added value of fly ash.
PubMed: 38922092
DOI: 10.3390/toxics12060412 -
Toxics May 2024The need to develop advanced wastewater treatment techniques and their use has become a priority, the main goal being the efficient removal of pollutants, especially...
The need to develop advanced wastewater treatment techniques and their use has become a priority, the main goal being the efficient removal of pollutants, especially those of organic origin. This study presents the photo-degradation of a pharmaceutical wastewater containing Kabi cytarabine, using ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and a synthesized catalyst, a composite based on bismuth and iron oxides (BFO). The size of the bandgap was determined by UV spectroscopy, having a value of 2.27 eV. The specific surface was determined using the BET method, having a value of 0.7 m g. The material studied for the photo-degradation of cytarabine presents a remarkable photo-degradation efficiency of 97.9% for an initial concentration 0f 10 mg/L cytarabine Kabi when 0.15 g of material was used, during 120 min of interaction with UV radiation at 3 cm from the irradiation source. The material withstands five photo-degradation cycles with good results. At the same time, through this study, it was possible to establish that pyrimidine derivatives could be able to combat infections caused by and .
PubMed: 38922085
DOI: 10.3390/toxics12060405 -
Veterinary Sciences May 2024(1) Background: This study assessed the efficacy of hydroxychloride sources of zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu) compared with organic sources in the rearing...
Comparative Impact of Hydroxychloride and Organic Sources of Manganese, Zinc, and Copper in Rearing Diets on Pullet Growth, Tibia Traits, Egg Production, and Eggshell Quality in Lohmann Brown Birds up to 50 Weeks of Age.
(1) Background: This study assessed the efficacy of hydroxychloride sources of zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu) compared with organic sources in the rearing diets of Lohmann brown pullets, focusing on pullet performance, tibia quality, egg production, and eggshell quality. (2) Methods: A total of 120 birds (six replications and 10 birds each) received diets with Mn, Zn, and Cu from organic or hydroxychloride sources during the rearing phase. After the onset of lay, birds were fed diets containing oxide/sulfate sources up to 50 weeks of age. (3) Results: no significant differences were observed in growth performance and tibia quality during the rearing phase ( > 0.05). From 18 to 24 weeks of age, no carryover effect on egg production performance was observed. However, from 25-50 weeks, pullets fed hydroxychloride sources showed lower feed intake and egg mass compared to the organic group ( < 0.05), whereas egg production and eggshell quality remained similar between groups ( > 0.05). (4) Conclusions: These findings suggest the potential of hydroxychloride sources in rearing diets without compromising overall growth in the pullet phase and feed efficiency in the laying cycle.
PubMed: 38921992
DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11060245 -
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024The electrooxidation of organic compounds offers a promising strategy for producing value-added chemicals through environmentally sustainable processes. A key challenge...
The electrooxidation of organic compounds offers a promising strategy for producing value-added chemicals through environmentally sustainable processes. A key challenge in this field is the development of electrocatalysts that are both effective and durable. In this study, we grow gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) on the surface of various phases of titanium dioxide (TiO) as highly effective electrooxidation catalysts. Subsequently, the samples are tested for the oxidation of benzaldehyde (BZH) to benzoic acid (BZA) coupled with a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). We observe the support containing a combination of rutile and anatase phases to provide the highest activity. The excellent electrooxidation performance of this Au-TiO sample is correlated with its mixed-phase composition, large surface area, high oxygen vacancy content, and the presence of Lewis acid active sites on its surface. This catalyst demonstrates an overpotential of 0.467 V at 10 mA cm in a 1 M KOH solution containing 20 mM BZH, and 0.387 V in 100 mM BZH, well below the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) overpotential. The electrooxidation of BZH not only serves as OER alternative in applications such as electrochemical hydrogen evolution, enhancing energy efficiency, but simultaneously allows for the generation of high-value byproducts such as BZA.
PubMed: 38921881
DOI: 10.3390/nano14121005