Search

Introduction: Distinguishing and categorizing the origin of garlic are highly significant, considering its widespread use as a flavoring agent. With billions of dollars annually in global trade, garlic is frequently susceptible to fraudulent practices. Methodology: Paper spray ionization mass spectrometry (PS‐MS) was employed to quickly analyze garlic samples from distinct geographic origins: China and Brazil. The so‐generated PS‐MS data were treated with metabolomic multivariate approaches, and the garlic samples from these different geographic regions were easily discriminated. Results: Brazilian garlic was characterized to contain higher levels of amino acids, such as arginine, proline, and valine, and organosulfur compounds, such as allicin, alliin, and l‐γ‐glutamil‐S‐allyl‐l‐cysteine, compared to Chinese garlic. The PS‐MS data were treated employing multivariate approaches, typically used in the metabolomics field, and this protocol was promptly able to discern among both types of samples. Conclusion: Hence, this combined strategy holds promise not only as an effective tool for the authentication of the geographical origin of garlic but also as a powerful means for biomarker discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneous detection of multiple amino acids (AAs) instead of individual AAs is inherently worthwhile for improving diagnostic accuracy in clinical applications. Here, a facile and reliable colorimetric microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) using carbon dots doped with transition metals (Cr3+, Mn2+, Fe3+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+) has been provided to detect and discriminate 20 natural amino acids. To make the colourless metal-doped carbon dots suitable for colorimetric assays, they were mixed with ninhydrin to form a charge transfer complex. This optical tongue system, which was constructed by dropping mixtures of ninhydrin with a series of metal-doped carbon dots on a paper substrate in an array format, represented obvious but different colorimetric signatures for every examined amino acid. Since bovine serum albumin was used as a chiral selector reagent for synthesizing the CDs, the sensor device represented excellent selectivity to identify enantiomeric species of AAs. This is the first optical array device that can simultaneously discriminate AAs and several of their enantiomers. We employed various statistical and chemometric methods to analyze the digital data library collected by Image J software, including principal component analysis (PCA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). Twenty AAs could be well distinguished at various concentrations (10.00, 5.00, 2.50, and 1.25 mM). The colorimetric patterns were highly repeatable and were characteristic of individual AAs. Besides qualitative analysis, the designed μPAD-based optical tongue represented quantitative analysis ability, e.g., for lysine in the concentration ranges of 0.005–20.0 mM with a detection limit of 1.0 × 10−6 M and for arginine in the concentration range of 0.12–20.00 mM with a detection limit of 80.0 × 10−6 M. In addition, the binary, ternary, and quaternary mixtures of AAs could also be well recognized with this sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simultaneous determination is reported of arginine (Arg) and valine (Val) amino acids in plasma using flower-shaped μPADs and PMMA/paper hybrid microfluidic chip based on AuNPs capped with R-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (THP). In this article, the evaluation procedure is based on the smartphone colorimetric detection mechanism that results from the aggregation of the THP-AuNPs with the addition of amino acids and visual color change from red to blue. Arg and Val were selectively determined with good reproducibility and an acceptable linearity range. The flower-shaped (μPADs) provides many advantages, including low cost, reasonable sensitivity, simple and fast performance, simultaneous detection, disposable use, and high sample throughput compared with conventional colorimetric method using cuvette cells. The ratios between the absorbance wavelength at (A650/A525) and (A685/A525) are linearly proportional to the concentration of Arg and Val. Under the optimum conditions, the calibration range in aqueous solutions is 0.0068–100.0 and 0.0056–75.0 µM with a limit of detection of 2.25 and 1.86 nM for Arg and Val at pH 7.0, respectively. In the case of μPADs, the calibration curves for Arg and Val showed good linearity in the concentration range 0.01–75.0 µM. The detection limits for the analytes were 3.51 nM and 3.44 nM for Arg and Val, respectively. In addition, a PMMA/paper hybrid microfluidic chip was successfully employed to determine Arg and Val in plasma samples with a relative error below 5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A one-step analysis method was developed for four types of amino acids using a microfluidic paper-based analytical device fabricated from chromatography filtration paper and laminate films. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase was used to detect each amino acid. The obtained laminated paper-based analytical device (LPAD) contained four enzymatic reaction areas. Colorimetric detection was performed based on the molybdenum blue reaction. A model method for the simple, easy, and simultaneous detection of several amino acid concentrations was suggested, in contrast to the conventional methods such as HPLC or LC–MS. The method provided a selective quantification at the ranges of 3.6–100 μM for tryptophan, 10.1–100 μM for glycine, 5.9–100 μM for histidine and 5.6–100 μM for lysine with a detection limit of 1.1 μM, 3.3 μM, 1.9 μM and 1.8 μM, respectively. LPAD fabrication was considerably simple, and the subsequent detection process was easy and required a short period of time (within 15 min). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation was designed to study the effect of sublethal concentration of paper mill effluent on the total protein and amino acid contents in muscles, liver and gill of Channa punctatus after exposure to 96 hours. A significant decrease in protein content with increase in amino acids content in muscles, liver and gill of effluent exposed fishes was observed. A reduction in the protein content and enhancement of free amino acids in the muscles, liver and gill of experimental fish suggests that the tissue protein might have undergone proteolysis, during the stressful situation. Thus, the present study concludes that the protein metabolism of fish Channa punctatus affected during effluent exposure and reduces the nutritive value of fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autohydrolysis is an extensively investigated pretreatment method due to its environmental friendliness. During autohydrolysis, most xylan from hemicellulose can be converted into xylooligosaccharides (XOS), and cellulose in the autohydrolyzed residues can be transformed into glucose after enzymatic hydrolysis. Both of these are value-added biochemicals in the biorefining process. In this work, paper mulberry (PM), which contains abundant protein, was utilized as a raw material to coproduce XOS and single-cell protein (SCP) through autohydrolysis and fermentation technologies. Results: The results showed that 8.3 g of XOS and 1.8 g of amino acids could be recovered in the autohydrolysate (based on 100 g raw material) after autohydrolysis (170 °C, 1 h). Moreover, 5.7 g of low-DP XOS along with 1.8 g of amino acids could be further obtained from the autohydrolysate after hydrolysis with endo-β-1-4-xylanase. In addition, 20.1 g of fermentable monosaccharides was recovered after hydrolyzing the autohydrolyzed PM with cellulase, which can be used to produce 4.8 g of SCP after fermentation with Candida utilis. Conclusion: As a valuable application of PM, a novel process is proposed to coproduce amino acid-rich XOS and SCP through autohydrolysis. The carbohydrate of PM is effectively converted to high value-added products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a new, simplified approach for performing quantitative colorimetric assays on paper-based analytical devices that uses calibrant-loaded paper devices to perform external calibration and standard addition calibration using one calibration point. Calibrant-loaded devices consist of sensing areas pre-loaded with a colored product which is produced from the reaction of a standard solution of the analyte with the appropriate colorimetric reagents. When the sample is added into the calibrant-loaded sensing zone the analytical signal (i.e. color intensity) increases proportionally to the concentration of the analyte in the tested sample. The total measured signal corresponds to the sum of the concentration of the analyte in the sample and the standard solution pre-stored in the device and is used to calculate the concentration of the analyte in the sample based on the principles of linear calibration. The applicability of this approach was benchmarked in three colorimetric assays (i.e., for the determination of iron, nickel, and amino acids) that use different reaction chemistries. This work demonstrates a simplified calibration-free approach for assays performed on paper-based analytical devices that requires minimum experimental and computational effort, it can be used for either external or standard addition calibration and can be used to identify and eliminate the presence of interferences in a sample. Image 1 • A new and simplified approach for quantitative assays on paper devices is described. • Single-point calibration and standard addition on paper devices is demonstrated. • The method can be used to identify the presence of interferences in the sample. • The method produces rapid results with minimum user effort and technical resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of information technology, ensuring information security has become an important issue. As a widely used multimedia tool, images often face the risk of leakage. Therefore, this paper proposes an image encryption algorithm based on 2D-SAHM chaotic system and a new DNA operation rule. The algorithm first constructs a new chaotic system 2D-SAHM, which has better chaotic characteristics and can generate more random chaotic sequences than the traditional low-dimensional chaotic system. And then, on the basis of this system, the algorithm scrambles and diffuses the image. In the scrambling stage, the whole image is converted into a one-dimensional pixel matrix and divided into several sub-images by double Joseph scrambling. In the diffusion stage, to solve the problem that traditional DNA encryption relies too much on chaotic sequences, this paper proposes a new DNA operation rule. This rule determines the operation symbol of DNA by the type of amino acid, which improves the randomness of the algorithm. The final simulation results and performance analysis show that the algorithm has high security and strong anti-interference ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Modification of paper electrochemical devices (ePADs) with graphene nanoribbons is first reported. • The modification increased the ePAD's voltammetric response by 91%. • First electroanalytical method for analysis of 5-HTP using ePADs is presented. • Application for analysis of real pharmaceuticals is successfully demonstrated. • Results showed great concordance when compared to UV–vis spectrophotometry. Here, a new and inexpensive electrochemical paper-based analytical device (ePAD) containing a pencil-drawn three-electrode setup, in which the working electrode was modified with graphene nanoribbons (GNRs), is presented for the first time. Under optimal conditions, the GNRs-ePAD provided higher peak currents (ca. 91 %), lower electron transfer resistance (ca. 32-fold) and greater electroactive area (more than twice) when compared to the unmodified ePAD. This significant improvement can be attributed to the increase in the number of active sites available on the electrode surface due to the high conductivity of GNRs. In addition, the ePAD showed good reproducibility and acceptable repeatability, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) ≤ 8.4 % for peak currents and peak potentials. As proof of concept, the GNRs-ePAD was employed for analysis of 5-HTP in pharmaceuticals. As far as we know, this is the first report of the use of ePADs for determination of 5-HTP. The electroanalytical quantification was carried out using square-wave voltammetry (SWV). A linear range from 25 to 1000 μmol L−1 and a limit of detection of 7.6 μmol L−1 were obtained. The sensitivity achieved with the GNRs-ePAD was almost 5-fold greater than that obtained with the bare electrode. The results achieved during the analysis of pharmaceutical products showed good precision (RSD < 3 %) and great concordance with the values found by UV–vis spectrophotometry, utilized for comparison (relative error was < 2 %). None interference or matrix effects were observed during measurements. These results demonstrate promising potential for the GNRs-ePAD proposed here. This device shows itself as an interesting, efficient and low-cost analytical platform for analysis of electroactive species, being specially interesting for places with limited resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hemicellulose-first strategy of acetic acid pretreatment was applied for the protein-rich paper mulberry biowaste (PMB) to produce amino acid-rich xylo-oligosaccharide (XOS). In addition, the pretreated PMB was further used to produce fermentable monosaccharides by enzymatic hydrolysis. Results showed a yield of 18.2% (based on xylan in raw PMB) was achieved for XOS in hydrolyzate under the optimal pretreatment conditions (168 °C, 68 min, 1% acetic acid). Besides, it's found that the obtained hydrolyzate contains 14.3% (based on amino acids in raw PMB) amino acids degraded from the protein in PMB. Furthermore, an additional enzymatic hydrolysis process with endo-xylanase was used to upgrade the XOS with DP of 2–6 in the hydrolysate, which could increase XOS yield to 29.8%. Amino acid contents were unchanged after post-enzymatic hydrolysis. Besides, a glucose yield of 51.7% (11.5 g/L glucose) could be achieved for the pretreated PMB after enzymatic hydrolysis. This work serves as proof of concept for creating higher-value XOS from biorefinery processes considering protein-enriched low-value biomass feedstocks. [Display omitted] • The concept of the hemicellulose-first strategy was proposed. • XOS with high proportion of xylobiose and xylotriose were produced. • Degradation trends of xylan and protein in paper mulberry biowaste are different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A direct fluorimetric method, employing μicro-analytical paper-based devices (μ-PADs) for the selective determination of histidine (HIS) is described. The suggested method exploits the fluorescence emission of histidine after its rapid reaction with o -phthalaldehyde (OPA) at a basic medium (pH = 10) on the surface of a paper device with the application of a UV lamp at 354 nm. The devices are inexpensive and are composed of chromatographic paper and wax barriers. The analytical protocol is easily applicable with minimal technical expertise and without the need of expensive experimental apparatus. The user has to add a test sample, illuminate the device with a UV lamp, and read the fluorescence of the sensing area using a simple imaging device such as a cell-phone camera. The method is free from common interferences likely to affect the measurement of histidine and is selective among all other amino acids. This analytical procedure was optimized and validated, paying special attention to its intended application. The detection limits are as low as 1.8 μM with very satisfactory precision ranging from 6.4% (intra-day) to 8.9% (inter-day). Random urine samples from adult volunteers (n = 5) were successfully analyzed and HIS content ranged between 260 and 1114 μmol L−1 with percentage recoveries in the range of 78.2 and 124.6%. [Display omitted] • A paper-based analytical device was developed to determine histidine in human urine samples. • Highly sensitive detection of histidine based on the fluorescence emission of OPA-HIS reaction was achieved. • A UV lamp for the irradiation and a smartphone as the detector were the only instrumentation used. • The paper-based device presented high analytical stability and portability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, we have utilized semi-enclosed, leak-proof, microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPAD's) modified with isatin conjugated chitosan as specific colorimetric reagent for the detection of proline. Proline is one of the globally accepted stress biomarker in plants and also one of the prominent amino acid present in wine and some processed food. Quantification of proline is regularly required in agriculture field, food and wine industries. Specific interaction of isatin with proline, uniform film forming ability of chitosan which results in uniform coloration and the presence of leak-proof layer which prevent the diffusion of colorimetric reagent deeper resulted in enhancement of color signal intensity at the reaction zone were utilized. Further, the images of the μPAD's were captured using smartphone with 3D printed imaging box which houses smartphone and μPAD's. This platform utilizes smartphone flash for uniform illumination and ensures constant positioning of μPAD's to capture images. This greatly enhances the sensitivity and accuracy of our platform. Compared to previously published highly sensitive multi-layer, paper-based platform for detection of proline, current method has enhanced detection range (∼7 fold) and has comparable limit of detection of 23.75 μM. Moreover, the developed μPAD's platform has reduced optimum reaction temperature and time compared to previous work. The developed paper based platform was utilized for evaluation of proline content in young Arabidopsis plants which are subjected to water stress for 5 days. The devised paper-based methods have the potential to be applicable for the on-site evaluation of various stresses in plants. [Display omitted] • A single layered, semi-enclosed, paper-based microfluidics for sensitive proline detection is developed. • Utilizes isatin-chitosan conjugate to selectively detect proline and to enhance color developed during the reaction. • Enhanced detection range with LOD 23.75 μM which is suitable to detect early stress in plants. • Proposed method considerably reduces reaction time and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, the use of nutrients derived from natural bioactive compounds application in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries is on the increase. This paper aimed to evaluate the amino acids profile (essential and non-essential) and pigments composition (chlorophyll a, carotenoids, and phycocyanin) of Arthrospira platensis (a blue-green microalga) cultivation in a flat-plate photobioreactor under various types of light-emitting diodes (red: 620–680 nm, white: 380–780 nm, yellow: 570–600nm, blue: 445–480 nm). The maximum biomass concentration (604.96 mg L−1) occurred when the red LED was applied for cultivation, and the minimum biomass concentration (279.39 mg L−1) was obtained under blue LED. The sequence of pigments and amino acids concentrations (mg L−1culture volume) was approximately in accordance with the biomass productivity. It means the red light produces the maximum concentration of pigments (chlorophyll a: 5.42, carotenoids: 2.92, phycocyanin: 67.54 mg L−1) and amino acids (essential amino acids: 110.47, nonessential amino acids: 179.10 mg L−1). Nevertheless, when these values were measured in mg per g of dry weight, the utmost contents were observed in microalgal products cultivated under blue LED. These consequences are due to the highest cell productivity and the most extended length of cells that occurred under red and blue LEDs, respectively. Highlights: Spectral light quality is an effective parameter on Spirulina platensis growth. Red light produces the highest biomass productivity. Pigment and amino acids concentrations have conformity with biomass productivity. Blue light causes the cells to be longer. Longer cells have more time to synthesize the intracellular compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)—leucine (Leu), isoleucine (Ile), and valine (Val)—are essential nutrients with significant roles in protein synthesis, metabolic regulation, and energy production. This review paper offers a detailed examination of the physico-chemical properties of BCAAs, their industrial synthesis, and their critical functions in various biological processes. The unique isomerism of BCAAs is presented, focusing on analytical challenges in their separation and quantification as well as their solubility characteristics, which are crucial for formulation and purification applications. The industrial synthesis of BCAAs, particularly using bacterial strains like Corynebacterium glutamicum, is explored, alongside methods such as genetic engineering aimed at enhancing production, detailing the enzymatic processes and specific precursors. The dietary uptake, distribution, and catabolism of BCAAs are reviewed as fundamental components of their physiological functions. Ultimately, their multifaceted impact on signaling pathways, immune function, and disease progression is discussed, providing insights into their profound influence on muscle protein synthesis and metabolic health. This comprehensive analysis serves as a resource for understanding both the basic and complex roles of BCAAs in biological systems and their industrial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Luminescent carbon nanoparticles, such as carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and graphene quantum dots (GQDs), are increasingly utilized for sarcosine detection due to their exceptional water permeability, sustained luminescence, and biocompatibility. Sarcosine as a biomarker holds significance for therapeutic purposes and disease identification. Carbon‐based sensors offer eco‐friendliness, recyclability, and affordability, making them sustainable for sensing applications across various domains. Despite the widespread use of standard sensors for sarcosine measurement, they face limitations. This paper presents a focused review of recent developments in biosensors utilizing luminescent carbon quantum dots and graphene quantum dots for sarcosine detection. Key processes are characterized by their selectivity and sensitivity to different forms of sarcosine and interfering substances like metallic ions and amino acids. The significant reaction mechanisms and detection methods for sarcosine are outlined and compared. Additionally, the challenges in developing functionalized CQDs and GQDs for further investigation are explored. In summary, luminescent carbon nanoparticles offer a promising avenue for sarcosine detection, addressing limitations of standard sensors through their cost‐effectiveness, sensitivity, and rapid response, thus holding potential for diverse sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The silkworm Bombyx mori L. converts plant protein into silk. In silk producing countries mulberry leaves are primarily used to feed silkworms, however, recent studies have shown that nutritional supplements in the diet improved the morphological parameters of larvae and cocoons. In the current paper we investigated the effects of whey protein dissolved in water on the larval development of B. mori, cocoon production, mechanical properties of silk threads, silk gland morphology, and mRNA expression of the L-fibroin and sericin-1 genes. The results showed that whey protein supplementation did not affect larval development, and the histological structure of the silk glands remained intact. The water group and whey protein 10% group yielded the highest efficiency of silk protein synthesis. Mechanical testing of silk threads demonstrated that supplementation with whey protein did not affect the quality. The groups fed with whey protein supplements showed similar expression of L-fibroin gene, and higher expression of the sericin-1 gene. Our findings suggest that whey protein does not adversely affect the silk glands and could serve as a basis to produce artificial food for the silkworm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amines, crucial components in various industries, play a pivotal role in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and specialty chemicals. Recognizing the environmental impact of conventional methods for their preparation, our study centers on the utilization of abundantly available natural molecules, specifically amino acids, as precursors for short chain amine synthesis. This paper focuses on the biocatalyst, L‐valine decarboxylase from Streptomyces viridifaciens (VlmD), delving into the substrate scope, catalytic activity, and cost‐effective scalability of an enzymatic process for amine synthesis. Additionally, we investigate the feasibility of immobilizing VlmD, aiming to pave the way for its effective use in industrial applications. Our study exploits the SpinChem system and provides a comprehensive understanding of the potential and limitations of this biocatalyst. Notably, our yields for key amines (8.42 g ⋅ d−1 for isobutylamine, 5.23 g ⋅ d−1 for isoamylamine, 5.16 g ⋅ d−1 for (S)‐2‐methylbutylamine, 3.78 g ⋅ d−1 for 3‐(methylthio)propylamine, and 10.52 g ⋅ d−1 for (R)‐1‐amino‐2‐propanol) demonstrate the process efficiency and potential for industrial scalability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Amino acids are a highly effective and environmentally friendly adsorbent for SO2. However, there has been no comprehensive study of the binding modes between amino acids and SO2 at the molecular level. In this paper, the binding modes of three amino acids (Asp, Lys, and Val) with SO2 are studied comprehensively and in detail using quantum chemical calculations. The results indicate that each amino acid has multiple binding modes: 22 for Asp, 49 for Lys, and 10 for Val. Both the amino and carboxyl groups in amino acids, as well as those in side chains, can serve as binding sites for chalcogen bonds. The binding energies range from − 6.42 to − 1.06 kcal/mol for Asp, − 12.43 to − 1.63 kcal/mol for Lys, and − 7.42 to − 0.60 kcal/mol for Val. Chalcogen and hydrogen bonds play a crucial role in the stronger binding modes. The chalcogen bond is the strongest when interacting with an amino group, with an adiabatic force constant of 0.475 mDyn/Å. Energy decomposition analysis indicates that the interaction is primarily electrostatic attraction, with the orbital and dispersive interactions dependent on the binding mode. Methods: Amino acids and complexes of amino acids with SO2 were used to do semi-empirical MD using Molclus combined with xtb at the GFN2 level. Optimization and frequency calculations of the structures were conducted using density-functional theory (DFT) B3LYP/6-311G* (with DFT-D3 correction). Single-point energy calculations were performed for all structures using DLPNO-CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ with tightPNO. Further analysis of the structures was conducted using ESP, AIM, IGMH, and sob-EDA to gain a deeper understanding of the interactions between amino acids and SO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The paper considers the features of the structure and dipole moments of several amino acids and their dipeptides which play an important role in the formation of the peptide nanotubes based on them. The influence of the features of their chirality (left L and right D) and the alpha-helix conformations of amino acids are taken into account. In particular, amino acids with aromatic rings, such as phenylalanine (Phe/F), and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)—leucine (Leu/L) and isoleucine (Ile/I)—as well as corresponding dipeptides (diphenylalanine (FF), dileucine (LL), and diisoleucine (II)) are considered. The main features and properties of these dipeptide structures and peptide nanotubes (PNTs), based on them, are investigated using computational molecular modeling and quantum-chemical semi-empirical calculations. Their polar, piezoelectric, and photoelectronic properties and features are studied in detail. The results of calculations of dipole moments and polarization, as well as piezoelectric coefficients and band gap width, for different types of helical peptide nanotubes are presented. The calculated values of the chirality indices of various nanotubes are given, depending on the chirality of the initial dipeptides—the results obtained are consistent with the law of changes in the type of chirality as the hierarchy of molecular structures becomes more complex. The influence of water molecules in the internal cavity of nanotubes on their physical properties is estimated. A comparison of the results of these calculations by various computational methods with the available experimental data is presented and discussed. Method: The main tool for molecular modeling of all studied nanostructures in this work was the HyperChem 8.01 software package. The main approach used here is the Hartree–Fock (HF) self-consistent field (SCF) with various quantum-chemical semi-empirical methods (AM1, PM3, RM1) in the restricted Hartree–Fock (RHF) and in the unrestricted Hartree–Fock (UHF) approximations. Optimization of molecular systems and the search for their optimal geometry is carried out in this work using the Polak–Ribeire algorithm (conjugate gradient method), which determines the optimized geometry at the point of their minimum total energy. For such optimized structures, dipole moments D and electronic energy levels (such as EHOMO and ELUMO), as well as the band gap Eg = ELUMO − EHOMO, were then calculated. For each optimized molecular structure, the volume was calculated using the QSAR program implemented also in the HyperChem software package. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxide copper minerals are commonly extracted via acidic leaching, using acids such as H2SO4, HCl, or HNO3. These strong acids are the most widely used because of their high dissolution kinetics. However, their main concern is the high acid consumption because copper oxide deposits contain large amounts of acid-consuming gangue. This paper proposes using an alternative aqueous alkaline monosodium glutamate (MSG) system to leach copper oxide minerals. Tenorite (CuO) was used as the copper oxide mineral under study. The influence of process variables (such as temperature and glutamate concentration) and kinetics of this system on copper leaching from tenorite were studied. The results showed that temperature has a significant effect on copper dissolution rates. Increased temperature from 15 °C to 60 °C enhanced the copper extraction from 9.1% to 97.7% after 2 h. Leaching kinetics were analyzed using the shrinking core model (SCM) under various conditions, indicating that the leaching rate presented a mixed control. This method, however, fails to describe leaching for broad particle sizes due to its requirement for single-sized solid grains. This study demonstrated that a large particle size distribution in tenorite supported a successful extension of the SCM for leaching it from mixed glutamate solutions. The activation energy for the 15–60 °C temperature range was calculated to be 102.6 kJ/mol for the chemical control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro bioefficacies of the different antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were tested against three bacteria using paper disc and micro-dilution broth method. Nine different cationic AMPs viz. D4E1, PEP11, ESF1, ESF4, ESF5, ESF6, ESF12, ESF13 and ESF17 exhibiting variable amino acid compositions and charges, were used for the present investigation. Among the various AMPs tested against Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae (Xap), Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (Xac) and Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. malvacearum (Xam), the peptide D4E1 (net charge + 8) was the most effective AMP against all the three Xanthomonas sp. followed by PEP11, ESF12 and ESF1 having net charge +4. The peptide ESF13 was not effective against all the three bacteria while ESF4 was not effective against Xap and Xac whereas ESF6 was also not effective against Xac. AntiMicrobial peptides when tested in vitro through micro-dilution broth method showed that the inhibition growth per cent against Xap was greater than 90% (MIC90) for D4E1, PEP11, ESF17, ESF5 and ESF12. For Xac, D4E1, PEP11, ESF17, ESF5, ESF6, ESF1 and ESF12 showed the inhibition growth percent greater than 90% (MIC90). For Xam, the inhibition growth per cent was seen greater than 90% (MIC90) for D4E1, PEP11, ESF17, ESF1 and ESF12. The most promising peptide D4E1 exhibited better stability against endogenous proteases which recorded only 10.08 % hemolysis at a very high i.e.100 μM concentration. The D4E1 peptides appears to be a promising candidate to be explanted through gene manipulation to control bacterial blight of pomegranate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel 1,2-indanedione-based bi-functional reagent was designed for the development of latent fingerprints on paper substrates. The reagent was synthesized using a concise five-step protocol and applied using a modified multi-metal deposition (MMD) process. Positive images of latent fingerprints were developed showing preferential binding to the fingerprint ridges. Fingerprints that contain both amino acids as well as oily substances were successfully detected supporting the reagent’s efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • High-efficiency (2 orders of magnitude), reproducible (RSD 2.5%), fast (within 2 min) parallel electric stacking PAD was created; • The wet real-time photographic colorimetry results of the parallel PAD system are insensitive to the changes of light conditions; • On-line colorimetric detection of pigments in drinks and off-line MS/MS detection of serum amino acids are used to demonstrate their applicability. A microfluidic paper-based analytical device (PAD) with both pre-concentration and parallel operation functions is of great promise for sensitive and high throughput detection. In this paper, a fast and multiplexed PAD was designed based on wax-screen-printing with glass fiber paper substrate and validated by image-based colorimetry. Driven by the same DC power supply, parallel electrokinetic stacking with the PAD of 8 channels can be completed within 2 min, and each channel can be loaded with different samples. Enrichment factor of 2 orders of magnitude was demonstrated with RSD below 2.5% between the chips and the channels of a chip. Reproducible and multiplexed stacking operations of this PAD provide a solid foundation for online calibration and sample detection on the same chip at the same time. Applications of this PAD was demonstrated by online colorimetric detection of food pigments from beverages and offline MS/MS detection of amino acids from a serum sample. Besides high-throughput and sensitive point-of-care test detection, this PAD method could also find applications for efficient pre-separation and pre-concentration of complex samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present research work was to explore the nutritional composition of different infant formulas and determine the safety status of these products. For this purpose, different infant formula brands were procured from the local market of Faisalabad, Pakistan. After the collection of these different brands, nutritional composition, i.e. fat, protein, ash, moisture and fiber was determined whilst the microbial analysis, such as Salmonella, Yeasts and Molds Count, and Total Bacteria Count, was carried out through their methods. In addition, the amino acid profile was assessed through paper chromatography. Furthermore, an appropriate statistical design was carried out to determine the level of significance. Mean values for amino acids, i.e. lysine, valine and cysteine varied from 3.06 g/100 g to 6.63 g/100 g, 4.90 g/100 g to 6.51 g/100 g, and 2.32 g/100 g to 3.04 g/100 g, respectively, in different brands of infant formula. Moreover, moisture content, crude proteins, crude fat, crude fiber, ash content, and nitrogen-free extract (NFE) varied from 1.6% to 3.83%, 10.55% to 14.67%, 9.82% to 26.63%, 1.00% to 4.13%, 1.87% to 4.20%, and 51.03% to 69.17%, respectively. It is evident from the microbiological analyses that Salmonella was not present in any brand of infant formula. Whereas yeast and mold counts were ≤2 cfu/g to ≤10 cfu/g in different brands. Moreover, total bacteria count was exhibited in the range of 1.5 × 103cfu/g to 6.3 × 103 cfu/g among different brands. Local infant formulas contained high amounts of heavy metals, i.e. 0.99 pp, of lead content followed by cadmium and aluminum as 0.28–0.98 ppm and 1.48–2.05 ppm, respectively. Conclusively, it is evident from whole research that local brands contained higher contents of heavy metal as compared to branded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the construction of racemic and enantiopure (D‐ and L‐) fluorene and fluorenone‐based novel unnatural amino acid derivatives. The Pd(II)‐catalyzed bidentate directing group‐aided arylation of prochiral β‐C(sp3)‐H bonds in racemic, enantiopure carboxamides of amino acids with iodofluorenes was reported. The construction of novel examples of fluorene and fluorenone motifs containing amino acids comprising of norvaline, leucine, phenylalanine, norleucine, 2‐aminooctanoic acid derivatives having the anti‐stereochemistry (with good enantiopurity) was accomplished. The construction of bis fluorenyl alanine scaffolds and fluorenyl motif‐containing non‐α‐amino acid (aminoalkanoic acid) derivatives was also reported. Examples of removal of the directing group (8‐aminoquinoline) and phthalimide‐protecting group present in the fluorenyl‐based unnatural amino acid derivatives have been shown. Accordingly, fluorene motif‐based amino acid esters and free amino group‐containing unnatural amino acid derivatives were synthesized. The stereochemistry of the major (anti) diastereomers obtained via the prochiral β‐C(sp3)‐H arylation of norvaline, leucine, phenylalanine, norleucine, 2‐aminooctanoic acid derivatives was ascertained from the X‐ray structure of a representative compound. Fluorene‐ and fluorenone‐based motifs are vital skeletons in materials and medicinal chemistry research. Accordingly, this work is a contribution towards enriching the library of fluorene and fluorenone unnatural amino acid scaffolds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phosphoenol pyruvate–oxaloacetate–pyruvate-derived amino acids (POP-AAs) comprise native intermediates in cellular metabolism, within which the phosphoenol pyruvate–oxaloacetate–pyruvate (POP) node is the switch point among the major metabolic pathways existing in most living organisms. POP-AAs have widespread applications in the nutrition, food, and pharmaceutical industries. These amino acids have been predominantly produced in Escherichia coli and Corynebacterium glutamicum through microbial fermentation. With the rapid increase in market requirements, along with the global food shortage situation, the industrial production capacity of these two bacteria has encountered two bottlenecks: low product conversion efficiency and high cost of raw materials. Aiming to push forward the update and upgrade of engineered strains with higher yield and productivity, this paper presents a comprehensive summarization of the fundamental strategy of metabolic engineering techniques around phosphoenol pyruvate–oxaloacetate–pyruvate node for POP-AA production, including L-tryptophan, L-tyrosine, L-phenylalanine, L-valine, L-lysine, L-threonine, and L-isoleucine. Novel heterologous routes and regulation methods regarding the carbon flux redistribution in the POP node and the formation of amino acids should be taken into consideration to improve POP-AA production to approach maximum theoretical values. Furthermore, an outlook for future strategies of low-cost feedstock and energy utilization for developing amino acid overproducers is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honey is a natural product that is used by a large number of people because of its distinctive compositional constituents, which have a considerable impact on its market value. The distinctive combination of amino acids and sugars found in honey's composition, along with its peptide content, could potentially provide several benefits to human health. During the past few years, cutting-edge techniques have been developed and used for the purpose of investigating, identifying, and characterizing peptides that are produced from honey bees. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to examine current trends and technological advancements in the study of honey bee-derived peptides, focusing on innovative and cutting-edge methods. Furthermore, this review explores various attributes of honey and its components, including the honey bee-derived peptide defensin-1. In addition, this review investigates various methods for separating and purifying peptides, as well as the factors that affect these methods. Additionally, defensin-1, a peptide produced by honey bees, is discussed along with its antioxidant and antimicrobial capabilities. In addition, this review focuses on cutting-edge and innovative omic methods used to study honey bee peptides, as well as the significance of artificial intelligence tools in their investigation. Consequently, the review paper delves into various significant obstacles faced by researchers and scientists studying honey bee peptides, while also offering an extensive range of fascinating opportunities and possibilities for future research for those interested in groundbreaking discoveries in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Immunotherapeutic synergy represents the cornerstone of the treatment intended for patients with clear-cell renal-cell carcinoma. In most cases, this type of cancer manifests its first symptoms at an advanced stage, thus compromising the use of local therapies such as surgery. This paper aims to describe immune checkpoint proteins, known to suppress an anti-cancer immune response, as well as their inhibitors. Interleukin-2, a cytokine used as a therapeutic option and implicated in the activation of the immune cells, is also discussed. This review further emphasizes the role of the immunotherapeutic combination, not only as an alternative to current treatments devised to counteract the progression and metastasis of ccRCC but also as a valid solution aimed at alleviating the limitations resulting from immune-based monotherapies. Clear-cell Renal-Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common type of renal-cell carcinoma (RCC). In many cases, RCC patients manifest the first symptoms during the advanced stage of the disease. For this reason, immunotherapy appears to be one of the dominant treatments to achieve a resolution. In this review, we focus on the presentation of the main immune checkpoint proteins that act as negative regulators of immune responses, such as PD-1, CTLA-4, LAG-3, TIGIT, and TIM-3, and their respective inhibitors. Interleukin-2, another potential component of the treatment of ccRCC patients, has also been covered. The synergy between several immunotherapies is one of the main aspects that unites the conclusions of research in recent years. To date, the combination of several immunotherapies enhances the efficacy of a monotherapy, which often manifests important limitations. Immunotherapy aimed at restoring the anti-cancer immune response in ccRCC, involved in the recognition and elimination of cancer cells, may also be a valid solution for many other types of immunogenic tumors that are diagnosed in the final stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial resistance, particularly the emergence of resistant strains in fungal pathogens, has become a pressing global health concern. Antifungal peptides (AFPs) have shown great potential as a promising alternative therapeutic strategy due to their inherent antimicrobial properties and potential application in combating fungal infections. However, the identification of antifungal peptides using experimental approaches is time-consuming and costly. Hence, there is a demand to propose fast and accurate computational approaches to identifying AFPs. This paper introduces a novel multi-view feature learning (MVFL) model, called AFP-MVFL, for accurate AFP identification, utilizing multi-view feature learning. By integrating the sequential and physicochemical properties of amino acids and employing a multi-view approach, the AFP-MVFL model significantly enhances prediction accuracy. It achieves 97.9%, 98.4%, 0.98, and 0.96 in terms of accuracy, precision, F1 score, and Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC), respectively, outperforming previous studies found in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes to teach students biology through dance. Knowledge of nucleotides, amino acids, and structures of DNA and protein is used to create dance music and choreography. The three nucleotides (A, T, G, or C) making up the amino acids of selected proteins are converted into a musical note. In accordance with DNA's double helix structure and base-pairing, the authors designed a low-cost, in-house Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) machine to allow for a dual player dance mode that requires students to synchronize their choreography during gameplay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcatheter arterial embolization has been used clinically for the treatment of intermediate to advanced unresectable tumors, which is a complex procedure and may pose other risks. In order to achieve an efficient and simple therapeutic diagnostic method for tumors, this paper is based on the fact that the fluorescence properties of AIE fluorescent molecules are similar to those of pH-responsive polyamino acid materials undergoing a "sol–gel" phase transition in a tumor micro-acid environment, and two polyamino acid materials, PGTTC and PGCLTGCL, were linked with TPA derivatives of AIE fluorescent molecules to obtain catheter-free embolic agents, PGTTC-DCDPP-2TPA and PGCLTGCL-DCDPP-2TPA. In tumor fluorescence imaging experiments in tumor-bearing mice, both were enriched at the tumor 72 h after injection and that of the PGCLTGCL-DCDPP-2TPA was stronger, moreover, the tumor cells were suppressed and necrotic after 25 days. Therefore, this pH-responsive noninterventional embolization combination therapeutic diagnostic system has good prospects for application in the field of combined therapeutic diagnostic multifunctional platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, we have discovered a new class of amino acids salts containing different amino acids. In the present paper, we report crystal structures of three isostructural salts: l-argininium(+) sarcosine chloride (I), l-argininium(+) sarcosine bromide (II), and l-argininium(+) sarcosine iodide (III), formed by slow evaporation at room temperature from aqueous solutions containing stoichiometric ratios of components. The compounds crystallize in the polar space group P21 with two formula units in the asymmetric unit. The structures are stabilized due to N–H···O and N–H···X (X = Cl, Br, I) hydrogen bonds. Infrared spectra of all three crystals are shown and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The silkworm has fascinated people all around the world for centuries due to numerous applications of by-products resulting from its metamorphosis. A decline has been noticed due to industrialization and some disease concerns; however, several reasons strengthen compelling arguments for keeping up this species. The most prevalent nutrients identified along silkworm rearing, from mulberry leaves up to larvae, pupae, and silk, are proteins. The biological value of protein is based on amino acids. The presence of other nutrients, especially fatty acids (n-3 family), vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols, along with the profile in amino acids, which are taken from mulberry leaves and metabolized by larvae and then transferred to pupae, strengthen the conviction according to which silkworm by-products have a great nutritional potential that is either comparable with fish meal or better than other aquaculture-specific feedstuffs. This paper aims to present deep knowledge about amino acids (classification, metabolism, occurrence, mechanisms, and potential functions) for silkworms and fish to further understand these species. The silkworm Bombyx mori, the second most varied group of insects, is a fascinating insect that belongs to the Lepidoptera species. We aimed to deepen our knowledge about the composition and significance of amino acids (AA) from the sericulture chain to fish. AAs are the most prevalent molecules throughout the growth process of silkworms. We described AAs classification, occurrence, metabolism, and functions. Online datasets revealed that the essential AAs (EAA) level in fish meal and silkworm pupae (SWP) is comparable. SWP have a high content of methionine and lysine, which are the principal limiting AAs in fish diets, indicating that SWP have nutritional potential to be added to fish diets. Additionally, an overview of the data analyzed displays that SWP have a higher protein efficiency ratio than fish meal, the classical protein-rich source (>1.19 times), and compared to soybean meal, the second-most preferred source of protein in aquaculture (>2.08 times), indicating that SWP can be considered effective for animal feeding. In this study, we provide an overview of the current knowledge concerning AAs, paying special emphasis to EAAs and explaining, to some extent, certain mechanisms and functions of these compounds, from mulberry leaves to larvae–pupae and fish diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While organophosphorus chemistry is gaining attention in a variety of fields, the synthesis of the phosphorus derivatives of amino acids remains a challenging task. Previously reported methods require the deprotonation of the nucleophile, complex reagents or hydrolysis of the phosphonate ester. In this paper, we demonstrate how to avoid these issues by employing phosphonylaminium salts for the synthesis of novel mixed n-alkylphosphonate diesters or amino acid-derived n-alkylphosphonamidates. We successfully applied this methodology for the synthesis of novel N-acyl homoserine lactone analogues with varying alkyl chains and ester groups in the phosphorus moiety. Finally, we developed a rapid, quantitative and high-throughput bioassay to screen a selection of these compounds for their herbicidal activity. Together, these results will aid future research in phosphorus chemistry, agrochemistry and the synthesis of bioactive targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to solve the toxic and harmful problems caused by traditional volatile corrosion inhibitor (VCI) and to analyze the effect of the layered structure on the enhancement of the volatile corrosion inhibition prevention performance of amino acids. Design/methodology/approach: The carbon dots-montmorillonite (DMT) hybrid material is prepared via hydrothermal process. The effect of the DMT-modified alanine as VCI for mild steel is investigated by volatile inhibition sieve test, volatile corrosion inhibition ability test, electrochemical measurement and surface analysis technology. It demonstrates that the DMT hybrid materials can improve the ability of alanine to protect mild steel against atmospheric corrosion effectively. The presence of carbon dots enlarges the interlamellar spacing of montmorillonite and allows better dispersion of alanine. The DMT-modified alanine has higher volatilization ability and an excellent corrosion inhibition of 85.3% for mild steel. Findings: The DMT hybrid material provides a good template for the distribution of VCI, which can effectively improve the vapor-phase antirust property of VCI. Research limitations/implications: The increased volatilization rate also means increased VCI consumption and higher costs. Practical implications: Provides a new way of thinking to replace the traditional toxic and harmful VCI. Originality/value: For the first time, amino acids are combined with nano laminar structures, which are used to solve the problem of difficult volatilization of amino acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: The world is increasingly looking to plant‐based sources to meet its protein needs. Multiple factors are driving this progression, ranging from nutritional and ethical considerations to climate change and population growth. As a pulse crop, lentil is ideal to help meet this change in demand. However, plant‐based proteins have limiting amino acids and lower protein digestibility compared to animal‐based proteins. This research identifies genetic markers that can be used to accelerate breeding of protein quality traits in lentil to ultimately help meet the rising demand in high‐quality plant‐based protein and bolster global food and nutritional security. Summary: Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) contains ~25% high‐quality protein in addition to high concentrations of prebiotic carbohydrates and micronutrients, such as folate, iron, zinc, and selenium. As animal‐based protein's economic and environmental costs rise, plant‐based protein sources, such as lentil, will become increasingly important to global food systems. Consequently, evaluating and targeting protein quality traits for genomic‐assisted breeding is a valuable objective for lentil breeding programs.A diversity panel of 183 breeding lines was analyzed for protein quality traits, including amino acids and protein digestibility. Genotyping‐by‐sequencing (GBS) data were used to assess population structure and conduct genome‐wide association studies (GWAS). Genes in local linkage disequilibrium (LD) with significant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were identified and categorized by homology.Protein quality traits showed a wide range of variation. Repeatability estimates were low to moderate across traits. Twelve traits were strongly correlated with each other (r >.7). Admixture analysis identified six ancestral subpopulations, which also demonstrated clustering in principal component analysis. Ten different traits had significant SNP associations; two loci were shared across multiple traits. Twenty‐seven candidate genes, including glutathione S‐transferase, protease family, and gibberellin 2‐beta‐dioxygenase genes, were identified.This paper identifies SNP markers associated with lentil protein quality traits. Once validated, these SNPs could accelerate lentil protein quality breeding efforts. By targeting lentil's limiting amino acids (methionine and cysteine) and protein digestibility through marker‐assisted selection, the nutritional value of lentil's protein content could be increased without the need to alter total protein content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Maize grain is deficient in lysine. While the opaque2 mutation increases grain lysine, o2 is a transcription factor that regulates a wide network of genes beyond zeins, which leads to pleiotropic and often negative effects. Additionally, the drastic reduction in 19 kDa and 22 kDa alpha‐zeins causes a floury kernel, unsuitable for agricultural use. Quality protein maize (QPM) overcame the undesirable kernel texture through the introgression of modifying alleles. However, QPM still lacks a functional o2 transcription factor, which has a penalty on non‐lysine amino acids due to the o2 mutation. CRISPR/cas9 gives researchers the ability to directly target genes of interest. In this paper, gene editing was used to specifically target the 19 kDa alpha zein gene family. This allows for proteome rebalancing to occur without an o2 mutation and without a total alpha‐zein knockout. The results showed that editing some, but not all, of the 19 kDa zeins resulted in up to 30% more lysine. An edited line displayed an increase of 30% over the wild type. While not quite the 55% lysine increase displayed by QPM, the line had little collateral impact on other amino acid levels compared to QPM. Additionally, the edited line containing a partially reduced 19 kDa showed an advantage in kernel texture that had a complete 19 kDa knockout. These results serve as proof of concept that editing the 19 kDa alpha‐zein family alone can enhance lysine while retaining vitreous endosperm and a functional O2 transcription factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the amino acid chiral ionic liquid (AACIL) was prepared with L‐phenylalanine and imidazole. It was characterized by CD, FT‐IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectrum. The chiral recognition sensor was constructed with AACIL and Cu(II), which exhibited different chiral visual responses (solubility or color difference) to the enantiomers of glutamine (Gln) and phenylalanine (Phe). The effects of solvent, pH, time, temperature, metal ions, and other amino acids on visual chiral recognition were optimized. The minimum concentrations of Gln and Phe for visual chiral recognition were 0.20 mg/ml and 0.28 mg/ml, respectively. The mechanism of chiral recognition was investigated by FT‐IR, TEM, SEM, TG, XPS, and CD. The location of the host‐guest inclusion or molecular placement has been conformationally searched based on Gaussian 09 software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amadori compounds (ACs) are stable compounds produced in the early stage of the Maillard reaction (MR) with health benefits such as immunomodulatory, antithrombosis, and tumor‐preventive effects. Jujube is a medicinal and edible fruit in China. It is rich in free amino acids and reducing sugar, but traditionally, little attention was paid to the formation of ACs when jujube was processed, neither the influence of ACs on health effects. In this paper, we aimed to increase ACs through controlling the MR during different heating processes of jujube powder with adjusted water content and find the most effective AC that contributed to the antioxidant effects of jujube powder. The optimal dry‐heating conditions to produce ACs were as follows: The water activity was 0.294, the heating temperature was 90°C, and the time was 120 min. After processing, the ACs content of jujube powder was 18.55 ± 0.19 mg/g dry weight (DW), which was more than 100 times of those in the unheated jujube powder (0.153 ± 0.003 mg/g DW). Besides, the antioxidant activity of jujube powder after dry‐heating process was higher than that of unheated one. As the most abundant AC in the dry‐heated jujube powder (12.90 ± 0.75 mg/g DW), N‐(1‐deoxy‐d‐fructose‐1‐yl) proline (Fru‐Pro) showed the highest antioxidant activity (62% of equivalent l‐ascorbic acid) among 12 ACs in ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. This result provided a method to produce jujube product with high content of ACs and confirmed the positive contribution of Fru‐Pro to the antioxidant activity of the jujube powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pet-food industry is a significant and rapidly growing market, with global sales estimated at over US$100 billion in 2020. The market size for pet food was estimated at 22.9 million tonnes in 2020. The number of cats and dogs being fed commercial pet food is also on the rise, with an estimated 62% of cats and 68% of dogs being fed commercial pet food in the United States alone with an estimated value of A$2.3 billion in 2020. This represents a growth of 3.3% from the previous year, and the market is expected to continue growing with a forecast compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.4% from 2021 to 2025. The demand for high-quality, specialised pet-food products has led to consistent year-on-year growth in the industry. With this, the increasing demand for commercial pet food on a global scale comes with growing sustainability challenges that must be addressed. In this paper, we will examine some of the opportunities for the use of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) meal and oil in pet-food formulations to reduce the environmental impact of pet food and pet ownership and deliver nutritional and functional benefits to our pets. The growing populations of urbanised pets have had a significant impact on the environment. In this paper, we will examine the opportunities for the use of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) meal and oil in petfood formulations to reduce the environmental impact of pet food and pet ownership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debate surrounding the adverse consequences of feeding human-edible feedstuffs to livestock can be addressed through calculation of the net protein contribution (NPC) of the production system. If the NPC is greater than 1.0 for the production system, then there are net benefits from the system for human populations with an ever-increasing requirement for protein and amino acids. The aim of this paper was to calculate the NPC for an Australian pork supply chain on the basis of the unique characteristics of Australian ingredients. While calculation of NPC is not complex, intimate knowledge of the source of the nutrients and their quality, and interpretation of their human-edible protein fractions is essential if an accurate estimate is to be achieved. The NPC for an Australian pork supply chain was calculated using (a) actual, published or estimated values for human-edible fractions of feedstuffs, (b) the percentage of protein available within raw materials considered to be human edible, (c) recommended amino acid scoring patterns for infants, adolescents and adults, (d) published, and calculated from standard reference nutrient databases, digestible indispensable amino acid scores, (e) carcase yields and carcase composition from published studies, and (f) actual feed formulations, feed volumes and production data from a large Australian pork supply chain. The NPC for the assessed Australian pork supply chain was 3.26. This means the supply chain generates more than three times the human-edible protein it consumes in the process. This NPC is higher than previously published values, largely because of the composition of Australian pig diets, but demonstrates the positive value that livestock production systems make to human food supply. Livestock systems are often targeted as net consumers of vital nutrients such as protein and amino acids and the diversion of these nutrients from human diets. If production systems focus on the utilisation of waste streams, co-products and human-inedible feedstuffs, then they can make a net contribution to human-edible protein supply. Debate surrounding the adverse consequences of feeding human-edible feedstuffs to livestock can be addressed through calculation of the net protein contribution (NPC) of the production system. This paper calculates the NPC from an Australian pork supply chain to be 3.26. This number is higher than previously published values, largely because of the composition of Australian pig diets, but demonstrates the positive value that livestock production systems make to human food supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Next-generation single-molecule protein sequencing technologies have the potential to significantly accelerate biomedical research. These technologies offer sensitivity and scalability for proteomic analysis. One auspicious method is fluorosequencing, which involves: cutting naturalized proteins into peptides, attaching fluorophores to specific amino acids, and observing variations in light intensity as one amino acid is removed at a time. The original peptide is classified from the sequence of light-intensity reads, and proteins can subsequently be recognized with this information. The amino acid step removal is achieved by attaching the peptides to a wall on the C-terminal and using a process called Edman Degradation to remove an amino acid from the N-Terminal. Even though a framework (Whatprot) has been proposed for the peptide classification task, processing times remain restrictive due to the massively parallel data acquisicion system. In this paper, we propose a new beam search decoder with a novel state formulation that obtains considerably lower processing times at the expense of only a slight accuracy drop compared to Whatprot. Furthermore, we explore how our novel state formulation may lead to even faster decoders in the future. Author summary: Proteomic analyses frequently rely on mass spectrometry, a method characterized by its limited dynamic range, potentially overlooking low-abundant proteins. To address this limitation, single-molecule protein sequencing methods offer a solution. Fluorosequencing is a cutting-edge single-molecule protein sequencing method, which can distinguish peptides or protein molecules massively parallelly. This method has attracted interest from investors, as evidenced by the recent funding of Erisyon, a company developing this technology. This technique contains a challenging classification task: determining the original peptide sequence from light-intensity observations obtained after several Edman cycles. A classifier based on a combination of k Nearest Neighbors (kNN) with Hidden Markov Models (HMM) had been shown to have close-to-optimal accuracy with tractable complexity. We propose in this paper a new algorithm that reduces computation time significantly at the expense of a slight reduction in accuracy compared to state-of-the-art method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CysA@AuNPs supported amino acids was synthesized using hydrothermal protocol. • CysA@AuNPs supported was used for the identification of Hg(II) and Cu(II). • CysA@AuNPs have well activity for ion sensing in aqueous solution. In this study, an innovative methods was proposed for the synthesis of cysteamine@gold nanoparticle (CysA@AuNPs) using one step protocol. Also, application of CysA@AuNPs for the sensitive recognition of Hg (II) and Cu (II) in aqueous media was investigated using optical techniques. This research work explains the development of a lightweight stamp for manufacturing of a novel microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μ PADs), as a simple colorimetric sensor for selective recognition of Hg2+ and Cu2+ within the other metal ions (Fe(III), Mn(II), Zr(IV), Ba(II), Mg(II), Sr(II), As(III), B(III), Al(III), V(III), K(I), Na(I), Mo(II), Co(II), Zn(II), Sn(II), Se(IV), Cr(III), Bi(III)) in aqueous, and human biofluids. CysA@AuNPs supported amino acids were used as the ion detection probs. The specific colorimetric response of Hg2+ and Cu2+ amongst the other ions through the innovative sensor allows naked-eye discrimination of the mercury and copper metal ions in this work with excellent selectivity in the presence of cysteine, and methionine. The results revealed our new strategy (μ PADs) for the colorimetric recognition of mercury and copper ions, in both urine and aqueous samples, is selective, simple, fast, sensitive, quantitative, cost-effective, and eco-friendly, which can be detected by naked eye through color alternation with LLOQ of 0.001 ppm for Hg2+, and 0.02 ppm for Cu2+ with admirable stability. The low instrumental needs of the stamp, and disposability of μ PADs enable the application of the suggested paper-based device for the commercial diagnostics biosensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Synthesis and study of fluorescent probes based on PDIs derivatives in aqueous solutions under alkaline pH conditions. • The fluorescent probe is photostable and reversible. • The fluorescent probe was placed in a polymer matrix and used to prepare pH sensing meters. • The probe can be used for the detection of basic L-amino acids in aqueous solutions and prepared as a test paper for colourimetric detection of arginine concentrations. pH plays a crucial part in numerous chemical and physiological processes. In this work, a new perylene diimide derivative that acts as a pH-sensitive dye with Bay Area Carboxylic Acid functionality. The derivative utilizes the outstanding thermal, chemical and photochemical stability found in PDI materials and has remarkable UV–visible absorption and fluorescence emission qualities. Based on these properties, a fluorescent probe (PCA) was synthesised using a perylene tetracarbodiimide (PDI) backbone for the recognition of alkaline pH. In alkaline environments where the pH values are between 10 and 14, the fluorescence intensity significantly decreases, and a blue shift occurs, which is a standard feature of alkaline pH probes. The probe demonstrates exceptional sensing ability within the pH range of 10.00–14.00, with notable stability and reversibility. Encapsulation of the probe in a thin polymer film material enhances the pH sensing capability of the system. New sensor has been developed to detect basic amino acids by utilizing the probes' pH response characteristics. this sensor has also been applied to detect the concentration of arginine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the relationship between information and structure of the genetic code. The code has two puzzling anomalies: First, when viewed as 64 sub-cubes of a 4 × 4 × 4 cube, the codons for serine (S) are not contiguous, and there are amino acid codons with zero redundancy, which goes counter to the objective of error correction. To make sense of this, the paper shows that the genetic code must be viewed not only on stereochemical, co-evolution, and error-correction considerations, but also on two additional factors of significance to natural systems, that of an information-theoretic dimensionality of the code data, and the principle of maximum entropy. One implication of non-integer dimensionality associated with data dimensions is self-similarity to different scales, and it is shown that the genetic code does satisfy this property, and it is further shown that the maximum entropy principle operates through the scrambling of the elements in the sense of maximum algorithmic information complexity, generated by an appropriate exponentiation mapping. It is shown that the new considerations and the use of maximum entropy transformation create new constraints that are likely the reasons for the non-uniform codon groups and codons with no redundancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera, PM) is a potential roughage source widely distributed in Asia, but the chemical composition, silage fermentation, and digestibility are not fully understood. Here, we compared the chemical composition, silage fermentation, and digestibility of leaf, stem, and whole plant of PM to evaluate its feeding value. The result showed that the leaf had lower fiber content and higher protein content than the stem and whole plant. Meanwhile, the stem silage had the lowest pH value and lactate content, while those in the leaf were the highest. The in vitro and in situ digestibility showed the leaf was more digestible. Our study gives the reference of different parts of PM to be used as a feedstuff. Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera, PM) is high protein but unutilized as a feed source. The study explores the different parts (leaf, stem, and whole plant) of PM chemical composition, silage fermentation, and in vitro and in situ digestibility, aiming to give some guidelines to PM usage as feed. The result showed that the leaf had a higher fresh weight than the stem (p < 0.05). The dry matter contents of the three groups had no differences. The highest crude protein, ether extract, water-soluble carbohydrate, ash, calcium, phosphorus, amino acid contents, and butter capacity were observed in the leaf (p < 0.05). The stem had the highest (p < 0.05) neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and lignin contents. After ensiling, the stem silage had the lowest pH value, ammonia nitrate (NH3-N), lactate, acetate, and propionate (p < 0.05). The leaf silage had the highest pH value (p < 0.05). The lactate, acetate, and propionate in the leaf and whole plant silage had no difference. The butyrate was not detected in all silage. The in vitro and in situ digestibility experiments showed the leaf had the highest digestibility (p < 0.05), which could produce more volatile fatty acids and have a higher effective digestibility. These results allow a greater understanding of PM to be used as a feedstuff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title paper (Manimekalai et al., 2014) reports a slow evaporation solution growth of a so called ‘ Aloevera amino acid added lithium sulfate monohydrate’ (AALSMH) crystal. In this communication, many points of criticism, concerning the crystal growth, NMR spectrum and X-ray powder pattern of this so called AALSMH nonlinear optical crystal are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteinoids – thermal proteins – are produced by heating amino acids to their melting point and initiation of polymerisation to produce polymeric chains. Proteinoids swell in aqueous solution into hollow microspheres. The proteinoid microspheres produce endogenous burst of electrical potential spikes and change patterns of their electrical activity in response to illumination. The microspheres can interconnect by pores and tubes and form networks with a programmable growth. We speculate on how ensembles of the proteinoid microspheres can be developed into unconventional computing devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic therapeutic peptides are a complex and popular class of pharmaceuticals. In recent years, peptides with proven therapeutic activity have gained significant interest in the market. The determination of synthetic peptide enantiomeric purity plays a critical role in the evaluation of the quality of the medicine. Since racemization is one of the most common side reactions occurring in AAs or peptides, enantiomeric impurities such as D‐isomers can form during the peptide synthesis or can be introduced from the starting materials (e.g., AAs). The therapeutic effect of a synthetic or semi‐synthetic bioactive peptide molecule depends on its AA enantiomeric purity and secondary/tertiary structure. Therefore, the enantiomeric purity determination for synthetic peptides is supportive for interpreting unwanted therapeutic effects and determining the quality of synthetic peptide therapeutics. However, enantiomeric purity analysis encounters formidable analytical challenges during chromatographic separation, as D/L isomers have identical physical–chemical properties except stereochemical configuration. To ensure peptides AA stereochemical configuration whether in the free or bound state, sensitive and reproducible quantitative analytical method is mandatory. In this regard, numerous analytical techniques were emerged for the quantification of D‐isomeric impurities in synthetic peptides, but still, very few reports are available in the literature. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the importance, regulatory requirements, and various analytical methods used for peptide enantiomeric purity determination. In addition, we discussed the available literature in terms of enantiomeric impurity detection, common hydrolysis procedural aspects, and different analytical strategies used for sample preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, a biosensor is proposed with a split gate dielectric modulated bottom gate top contact organic thin‐film transistor. A cavity is marked below gate metal for enhancing sensitivity in biomedical applications. The organic thin‐film transistors‐based biosensors have shown applications over advanced biosensing platforms due to their intrinsic ability to transfer and amplify received biological signals into respective electrical signals. Immobilizing the biomolecules inside the cavity generates changes in surface potential. The analysis is carried out via different performance metrics that directly affect device electrical characteristics such as a change in spacer length applied voltages (Vgs and Vds) as well as channel material. After modeling, the device output characteristics are compared corresponding to simulated outcomes that validated our results. The proposed model structure is categorized by dividing it into different sections. Each categorized section's surface potential is further evaluated via 1‐ and 2‐dimensional Poisson's equation. The simulations to recreate biomolecules in terms of dielectric constant and charge density are done in the Silvaco ATLAS tool. The maximum value of sensitivity of proposed biosensor is around 300 in the case of charged biomolecule detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]