-
ACS Nano May 2024Rechargeable magnesium batteries (RMBs) have garnered significant attention for their potential in large-scale energy storage applications. However, the commercial...
Rechargeable magnesium batteries (RMBs) have garnered significant attention for their potential in large-scale energy storage applications. However, the commercial development of RMBs has been severely hampered by the rapid failure of large-sized Mg metal anodes, especially under fast and deep cycling conditions. Herein, a concept proof involving a large-scale ion-reinforced phytic acid (PA) layer (100 cm × 7.5 cm) with an excellent water-oxygen tolerance, high Mg conductivity, and favorable electrochemical stability is proposed to enable rapid and uniform plating/stripping of Mg metal anode. Guided by even distributions of Mg flux and electric field, the as-prepared large-sized PA-Al@Mg electrode (5.8 cm × 4.5 cm) exhibits no perforation and uniform Mg plating/stripping after cycling. Consequently, an ultralong lifespan (2400 h at 3 mA cm with 1 mAh cm) and high current tolerance (300 h at 9 mA cm with 1 mAh cm) of the symmetric cell using the PA-Al@Mg anode could be achieved. Notably, the PA-Al@Mg//MoS full cell demonstrates exceptional stability, operating for 8000 cycles at 5 C with a capacity retention of 99.8%, surpassing that of bare Mg (3000 cycles, 74.7%). Moreover, a large-sized PA-Al@Mg anode successfully contributes to the stable pouch cell (200 and 750 cycles at 0.1 and 1 C), further confirming its significant potential for practical utilization. This work provides valuable theoretical insights and technological support for the practical implementation of RMBs.
PubMed: 38648626
DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c13028 -
Animal : An International Journal of... May 2024There is a gap in the understanding of the relationship between dietary phytate levels and the relative efficacy of phytase to improve amino acid (AA) digestibility in...
There is a gap in the understanding of the relationship between dietary phytate levels and the relative efficacy of phytase to improve amino acid (AA) digestibility in pigs and chickens. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of exogenous phytase on standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of AA and the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of P in both standard- (SP) and high-phytate (HP) diets for broilers and swine. There were either 40 cages of Cobb 500 male broilers or 10 crossbred barrows (35 kg) fitted with ileal T-cannulas. Both studies were allotted to five dietary treatments (8 replicates). Treatments consisted of four corn-soybean meal-based diets arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial of standard or high phytate and exogenous phytase at 0 or 1 000 phytase units (FYT)/kg; and one N-free diet. Birds were fed a common starter diet from d 0 to 20 and fed experimental diets from d 20 to 25. Birds were euthanized on d 25 via CO asphyxiation, and digesta were collected from the terminal ileum. Pigs were fed for a total of four 7-d periods, where digesta were collected on d 6 and 7 of each period. Diet and digesta samples were analyzed for DM, N, Ti, AA, and P to determine AA and P digestibility. The SID of AA was determined by correcting the AID of AA for the basal endogenous losses estimated using the N-free diet. Main effects of the diet type (standard or HP) and phytase (0 or 1 000 FYT/kg), and the interaction of diet type and phytase were evaluated. For both experiments, the HP diets produced lower SID of AA compared to the SP (P < 0.001). For broilers, there was a phytase effect (P < 0.001) for the SID of all AAs evaluated regardless of the diet type. For pigs, phytase improved (P < 0.05) the SID of Met, Lys, Cys, Glu and Ser and tended to improve (P < 0.10) Arg, Leu, Thr, and Tyr. There were no significant interactions for either experiment. For both experiments, AID of P was lower for the HP diets (P < 0.01), and phytase produced greater AID of P for both diet types (P < 0.01). These data indicate that phytase greatly improves the digestibility of P for broilers and pigs and has the ability to significantly increase the digestibility of amino acids for these animals, regardless of the dietary phytate P.
Topics: Animals; 6-Phytase; Chickens; Animal Feed; Phytic Acid; Male; Digestion; Diet; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Ileum; Swine; Amino Acids; Dietary Supplements
PubMed: 38636148
DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2024.101135 -
Food Chemistry Aug 2024Lentils have a valuable physicochemical profile, which can be affected by the presence of antinutrients that may impair the benefits arising from their consumption....
Lentils have a valuable physicochemical profile, which can be affected by the presence of antinutrients that may impair the benefits arising from their consumption. Different treatments can be used to reduce these undesirable compounds, although they can also affect the general composition and behaviour of the lentils. Thus, the effect of different processing methods on the physicochemical and techno-functional properties, as well as on the antinutritional factors of different lentil varieties was studied. Phytic acid was eliminated during germination, while tannins and trypsin inhibitors are mostly affected by cooking. Functional properties were also altered by processing, these being dependent on the concentration of different nutrients in lentils. All the studied treatments affected the physicochemical profile of lentils and their functional properties. Cooking and germination appear to be the most effective in reducing antinutritional factors and improving the physicochemical profile of the lentils, meeting the current nutritional demands of today's society.
Topics: Lens Plant; Seeds; Germination; Cooking; Nutritive Value; Phytic Acid; Tannins; Trypsin Inhibitors; Food Handling
PubMed: 38631207
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.139293 -
Food Chemistry: X Jun 2024The purpose of the study was to explore effect of four different strains on quality characteristics of soy yogurt. The results showed that four strains were all related...
The purpose of the study was to explore effect of four different strains on quality characteristics of soy yogurt. The results showed that four strains were all related to the genus and N1 was , N2 was , N3 was , and N4 was . The result analysis of biochemical, sensory, nutritional, functional and safety properties of fermentation process and end products showed that the soy yogurt fermented with L. N1 had the highest isoflavone content and the lowest phytic acid content; the soy yogurt fermented with L. N2 had the highest content of free amino acids and oligosaccharides, the lowest content of trypsin inhibitors; the soy yogurt fermented with N3 had the lowest oil content; the soy yogurt fermented with L. N4 had optimal functional properties. In summary, N4 was suitable as a fermentation strain for soymilk.
PubMed: 38623511
DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101359 -
Inorganic Chemistry Apr 2024Heteroatom doping and heterostructure construction are the key methods to improve the performance of electrocatalysts. However, developing such catalysts remains a...
Heteroatom doping and heterostructure construction are the key methods to improve the performance of electrocatalysts. However, developing such catalysts remains a challenging task. Herein, we designed two comparable polymers, phytic acid/thiourea polymer (PATP) and phytic acid/urea polymer (PAUP), as precursors, which contain C, N, S/O, and P by microwave heating. To pinpoint how the introduction of sulfur would affect the electronic structure and catalytic activity, these two polymers were physically blended with CoCo-Prussian blue analogue (CoCo-PBA) and further calcination, respectively. The highly dispersed CoP/CoP-rich interfacial catalysts anchored on the N,S-codoped or N-doped carbon support were successfully prepared (CoP/CoP@CNS and CoP/CoP@CN). The prepared CoP/CoP@CNS catalyst showed good ORR properties ( = 0.856 V vs RHE) and OER properties ( = 1.54 V vs RHE), which were superior to the commercial Pt/C and RuO catalysts. The reversible oxygen electrode index (Δ = - ) can reach ∼0.684 V. Meanwhile, the rechargeable zinc-air battery assembled with a CoP/CoP@CNS catalyst as the air cathode also showed excellent performance, with a charge-discharge cycle stability of up to 900 h. DFT calculations further confirm that the introduction of S atoms can affect the electronic structure and enhance the catalytic activity of C and N atoms on carbon support.
PubMed: 38621361
DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.4c00859 -
Small (Weinheim An Der Bergstrasse,... Apr 2024Zinc anode deterioration in aqueous electrolytes, and Zn dendrite growth is a major concern in the operation of aqueous rechargeable Zn metal batteries (AZMBs). To...
Zinc anode deterioration in aqueous electrolytes, and Zn dendrite growth is a major concern in the operation of aqueous rechargeable Zn metal batteries (AZMBs). To tackle this, the replacement of aqueous electrolytes with a zinc hydrogel polymer electrolyte (ZHPE) is presented in this study. This method involves structural modifications of the ZHPE by phytic acid through an ultraviolet (UV) light-induced photopolymerization process. The high membrane flexibility, high ionic conductivity (0.085 S cm), improved zinc corrosion overpotential, and enhanced electrochemical stability value of ≈2.3 V versus Zn|Zn show the great potential of ZHPE as an ideal gel electrolyte for rechargeable zinc metal hydrogel batteries (ZMHBs). This is the first time that the dominating effect of chelation of phytic acid with M center over H-bonding with water is described to tune the gel electrolyte properties for battery applications. The ZHPE shows ultra-high stability over 360 h with a capacity of 0.50 mAh cm with dendrite-free plating/stripping in Zn||Zn symmetric cell. The fabrication of the ZMHB with a high-voltage zinc hexacyanoferrate (ZHF) cathode shows a high-average voltage of ≈1.6 V and a comparable capacity output of 63 mAh g at 0.10 A g of the current rate validating the potential application of ZHPE.
PubMed: 38616777
DOI: 10.1002/smll.202311923 -
Food Chemistry Aug 2024This study investigated the effect of low-intensity pulsed electric field (PEF) (0.3-0.7 kV/cm) and/or germination (0-72 h, 20 °C) on faba beans prior to flour- and...
Low-intensity pulsed electric field processing prior to germination improves in vitro digestibility of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) flour and its derived products: A case study on legume-enriched wheat bread.
This study investigated the effect of low-intensity pulsed electric field (PEF) (0.3-0.7 kV/cm) and/or germination (0-72 h, 20 °C) on faba beans prior to flour- and breadmaking. PEF (0.5 and 0.7 kV/cm) had no significant effect on the germination performance of faba bean but had a positive effect on in vitro starch and protein hydrolysis of PEF-treated beans germinated for 72 h. The incorporation of flour from soaked, germinated, PEF-treated, and PEF-treated+germinated faba beans into wheat bread, at 30% mass level, improved the nutritional composition (total starch and protein contents) and protein digestibility but it reduced the specific volume and increased the density, brownness, and hardness of the bread. This finding shows for the first time that PEF-treatment (<0.7 kV/cm) of faba beans followed by germination (72 h) improved in vitro starch and protein hydrolysis of its flour and the protein digestibility at gastric phase of its enriched wheat bread.
Topics: Vicia faba; Germination; Flour; Bread; Triticum; Digestion; Food Handling; Seeds; Starch; Electricity; Plant Proteins; Hydrolysis
PubMed: 38615637
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.139321 -
International Journal of Molecular... Mar 2024As compounds of natural origin enter human body, it is necessary to investigate their possible interactions with the metabolism of drugs and xenobiotics in general,...
As compounds of natural origin enter human body, it is necessary to investigate their possible interactions with the metabolism of drugs and xenobiotics in general, namely with the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system. Phytic acid (myo-inositol hexaphosphoric acid, IP6) is mainly present in plants but is also an endogenous compound present in mammalian cells and tissues. It has been shown to exhibit protective effect in many pathological conditions. For this paper, its interaction with CYPs was studied using human liver microsomes, primary human hepatocytes, the HepG2 cell line, and molecular docking. Docking experiments and absorption spectra demonstrated the weak ability of IP6 to interact in the heme active site of CYP1A. Molecular docking suggested that IP6 preferentially binds to the protein surface, whereas binding to the active site of CYP1A2 was found to be less probable. Subsequently, we investigated the ability of IP6 to modulate the metabolism of xenobiotics for both the mRNA expression and enzymatic activity of CYP1A enzymes. Our findings revealed that IP6 can slightly modulate the mRNA levels and enzyme activity of CYP1A. However, thanks to the relatively weak interactions of IP6 with CYPs, the chances of the mechanisms of clinically important drug-drug interactions involving IP6 are low.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Phytic Acid; Molecular Docking Simulation; Xenobiotics; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; RNA, Messenger; Mammals
PubMed: 38612422
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073610 -
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Apr 2024Recently, conductive hydrogels have emerged as promising materials for smart, wearable devices. However, limited mechanical properties and low sensitivity greatly...
Recently, conductive hydrogels have emerged as promising materials for smart, wearable devices. However, limited mechanical properties and low sensitivity greatly restrict their lifespan. Based on the design of biomimetic-layered structure, the conductive hydrogels with nacre-mimetic structure were prepared by using layered acrylic bentonite (AABT) and phytic acid (PA) as multifunctional "brick" and "mortar" units. Among them, the unique rigid cyclic multihydroxyl structure of the "organic mortar" PA preserves both ultrastretchability (4050.02%) and high stress (563.20 kPa) of the hydrogel, which far exceeds most of the reported articles. Because of the synergistic effect of AABT and PA, the hydrogel exhibits an excellent adhesive strength (87.74 kPa). The role of AABT in the adhesive properties of hydrogels is proposed for the first time, and a general strategy for improving the adhesive properties of hydrogels by using AABT is demonstrated. Furthermore, AABT provides ion channels and PA ionizes abundant H, conferring a high gauge factor (GF = 14.95) and excellent antimicrobial properties to the hydrogel. Also, inspired by fruit batteries, simple self-powered flexible sensors were developed. Consequently, this study provides knowledge for functional bentonite filler modified hydrogel, and the prepared multifunctional ionic conductive hydrogel shows great application potential in the field of intelligent wearable devices.
PubMed: 38605670
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c02456 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024Lupin species provide essential nutrients and bioactive compounds. Within pulses, they have one of the highest contents of proteins and fibers and are among the poorest...
Lupin species provide essential nutrients and bioactive compounds. Within pulses, they have one of the highest contents of proteins and fibers and are among the poorest in carbohydrates. The Mediterranean region is an important cradle area of the origin and domestication of cultivated white lupin ( L.). In this work, we present the characterization of 19 white lupin landraces collected from several sites in southern Italy, characterized by different pedoclimatic conditions. The protein contents and electrophoretic patterns, total polyphenols, phytic acid, lipids and phosphorous content, and reducing and anti-tryptic activities have been determined for each landrace. The relationships of the compositional characteristics, the area of origin of landraces and between compositional characteristics and thermo-pluviometric trends that occurred in the genotype comparison field during the two-year period between 2019 and 2020 are compared and discussed. From a nutritional point of view, some of the analyzed landraces differ from the commercial reference. The panel of molecular analyses performed can help in building an identity card for the grain to rapidly identify those varieties with the desired characteristics.
PubMed: 38592821
DOI: 10.3390/plants13060785