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The recycling of REEs from the end of life (EoL) products, such as nickel metal hydride batteries (NiMH), offers great opportunities for their supply in Europe. In the presented paper, the application of 'green' extractants such as citric (CA), metatartaric (TA), and ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) (also with H2O2 addition) for the recovery of REEs was studied. The studies were conducted considering the effects of the phase contact time, the initial concentration of CA, TA, and EDDS, as well as H2O2, pH, and temperature. It was found that the addition of TA to the CA solution meant that higher rates of metal ion binding and, thus, leaching was observed. The optimal conditions were obtained in the system: CA-TA and H2O2 for the concentration 0.6M-0.3 M-2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world and Europe is classified as the first producer in terms of per capita amount. To reduce the environmental impact of e-waste, it is important to recycle it. This work shows the possibility of reusing glassy substrates, derived from the MW-assisted acidic leaching of Waste Printed Circuit Boards (WPCBs), as an adsorbent material. The results revealed an excellent adsorption capability against methylene blue (MB; aqueous solutions in the concentration range 10−5 M–2 × 10−5 M, at pH = 7.5). Comparisons were performed with reference samples such as activated carbons (ACs), the adsorbent mostly used at the industrial level; untreated PCB samples; and ground glass slides. The obtained results show that MW-treated WPCB powder outperformed both ground glass and ground untreated PCBs in MB adsorption, almost matching AC adsorption. The use of this new adsorbent obtained through the valorization of e-waste offers advantages not only in terms of cost but also in terms of environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global market of food supplements is growing rapidly with a large turnover. Fish oil supplements represent a significant part of this turnover as they are believed to have important health benefits. Conversely, there are few papers in the literature about the quality control of fish oil capsules. As prior studies illustrate, a perfect agreement with the label is rarely found, and in some isolated cases, large amounts of soybean oil are also detected, indicating a true adulteration rather than a non-compliance with the label. None of the available studies refer to the Italian market, which ranks first in Europe in the consumption of food supplements. In this present communication, a quality control of fish-oil-based supplements from the Italian market was carried out for the first time. With minor deviations, all results showed substantial agreement with the label. However, the most important conclusion from this research is that compliance with the label is not enough to judge a product of good quality. The analysis of the overall fatty acid composition showed that some supplements have a high level of saturated fatty acids, and therefore they did not undergo a proper purification process. This may represent a safety issue since the purification process also allows the removal of toxic contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the quality and sourcing of tea have gained importance in Europe, but information remains scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of fluoride (F–) and total aluminium (Al) species in infusions of commercially available teas in Slovenia, and thus in Europe, and to relate them to tea quality and their impact on consumer safety. F– concentrations were determined using a fluoride-ion-selective electrode and Al concentrations using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. A comparison of the results obtained for four selected tea samples using the calibration curve and a standard addition technique showed good agreement, with no interferences caused by the sample matrix. The concentrations of 35 commercial teas ranged from 0.34 to 4.79 and 0.51 to 8.90 mg/L for F– and Al, respectively. The average concentrations of the two elements followed the same descending order: black filter > green filter > black leaves ≈ green leaves. Single and multivariate statistical methods supported the categorisation of teas by packaging but not by type, with tea in filter bags being more expensive than loose tea. The linear relationship between F– and Al concentrations in infusions (C(Al) = 1.2134 · C(F–)) allows for the determination of one element and estimation of the other, leading to a significant reduction in laboratory effort and cost. This research advances tea assessment by proposing Al concentration alongside F– as a quality indicator and provides the basis for tea-monitoring protocols. Finally, the daily consumption of larger quantities of tea (≈1 L) with elevated F– and Al concentrations could potentially pose a health risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this publication is to present rapid screening methods (visual/colorimetric) that will enable quick identification of the presence of biologically active compounds in aqueous solutions. For this reason, 26 plant extracts obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction were analysed for the content of these compounds. Higher plants, used as a raw material for extraction, are common in Europe and are easily available. The article proposes a comparison of various protocols for the identification of various compounds, e.g., phenolic compounds (phenols, tannins, anthocyanins, coumarins, flavones, flavonoids), vitamin C, quinones, quinines, resins, glycosides, sugars. Initial characterisation of the composition of plant extracts using fast and inexpensive methods allows you to avoid the use of time-consuming analyses with the use of advanced research equipment. In addition, the antioxidant activity of plant extracts using spectrophotometric methods (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP assay) and quantitative analysis of plant hormones such as abscisic acid, benzoic acid, gibberellic acid, indole acetic acid, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, zeatin, zeatin riboside, and isipentenyl adenine was performed. The obtained results prove that the applied visual methods show different sensitivity in detecting the sought chemical compounds. Therefore, it is necessary to confirm the presence or absence of bioactive substances and their concentration using modern analytical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is only a small acreage of planted soybeans in northern Europe, as the global production of this crop is mainly dictated by the warmer temperatures needed for bountiful yields. The defense response of soybean plants to a cold climate entails the secretion of specific compounds which help mitigate oxidative stress, i.e., antioxidants, including phenolic compounds. The objective of this study was to examine differences in the concentrations of phenolic compounds, their antioxidant properties, and the concentration of key isoflavones (namely genistein, daidzein, malonyl daidzein, malonyl genistein, and daidzin) in the seeds of six soybean cultivars from two different regions of Europe, namely Poland and France. The total phenolic contents, isoflavone levels, and in vitro antioxidant capacities of soybean seeds from most of the investigated cultivars of northeast Europe were found to be greater than those from southwest Europe. The phenolic compounds of seed extracts are primarily responsible for the free-radical scavenging of soybeans. Factors regulating the production of phenolic compounds in the seeds have not been thoroughly elucidated. Hence, the results presented in this paper can be useful in the selection of soybean cultivars with higher levels of seed phenolics, because of their beneficial impact on human health and on the soybean's defense mechanism against plant stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus raw materials are non-renewable, and their resources are shrinking faster and faster as a result of increased fertilizer production. This is due to the increasing population and the need to produce more food. Phosphorus, on the other hand, is one of the main nutrients of plants, without which it is impossible to conduct intensive agricultural production. There are no economically significant phosphate resources in Europe, so they must be imported. That is why it is so important to reduce losses and recover this element from waste streams, which was reflected in the new EU Regulation 2019/1009. A prospective option is to use waste phosphates from the production of polyether polyols. Previous studies show that they contain about 20% phosphorus. Due to their high water content, the most advantageous form of their application is the production of fertilizers in the form of a suspension. The aim of the study is to assess the possibility of using waste phosphates from the production of polyols as raw materials for the production of suspension fertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acacia spp. are invasive in Southern Europe, and their high propagation rates produce excessive biomass, exacerbating wildfire risk. However, lignocellulosic biomass from Acacia spp. may be utilised for diverse biorefinery applications. In this study, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), high-performance anion-exchange chromatography pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) and lignin content determinations were used for a comparative compositional characterisation of A. dealbata, A. longifolia and A. melanoxylon. Additionally, biomass was treated with three white-rot fungi species (Ganoderma lucidum, Pleurotus ostreatus and Trametes versicolor), which preferentially degrade lignin. Our results showed that the pre-treatments do not significantly alter neutral sugar composition while reducing lignin content. Sugar release from enzymatic saccharification was enhanced, in some cases possibly due to a synergy between white-rot fungi and mild alkali pretreatments. For example, in A. dealbata stems treated with alkali and P. ostreatus, saccharification yield was 702.3 nmol mg−1, which is higher than the samples treated only with alkali (608.1 nmol mg−1), and 2.9-fold higher than the non-pretreated controls (243.9 nmol mg−1). By characterising biomass and pretreatments, generated data creates value for unused biomass resources, contributing to the implementation of sustainable biorefining systems. In due course, the generated value will lead to economic incentives for landowners to cut back invasive Acacia spp. more frequently, thus reducing excess biomass, which exacerbates wildfire risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increasing tattoo practicing in Eastern countries and general concern on tattoo ink composition and safety, the green tattoo inks Green Concentrate by Eternal, for European and "for Asia Market Only" were analyzed, under the premise that only the former falls under a composition regulation. A separation of the additives from the pigment was carried out by successive extraction in solvents of different polarities, i.e., water, acetone and dichloromethane. The solid residues were analyzed by IR and Raman spectroscopies, the liquid fractions by GC/mass spectrometry. The relative pigment load and element traces were also estimated. We found that the European and the Asian inks are based on the same pigment, PG7, restricted in Europe, though at different loads. They have a similar content of harmful impurities, such as Ni, As, Cd and Sb and both contain siloxanes, including harmful D4. Furthermore, they have different physical-chemical properties, the European ink being more hydrophilic, the Asian more hydrophobic. Additionally, the Asian ink contains harmful additives for the solubilization of hydrophobic matrices and by-products of the phthalocyanine synthesis. Teratogenic phthalates are present as well as chlorinated teratogenic and carcinogenic compounds usually associated to the laser treatment for removal purposes, to a larger extent in the European ink. The composition of the inks does not seem to reflect regulatory restrictions, where issued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cereal crops are frequently affected by toxigenic Fusarium species, among which the most common and worrying in Europe are Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum. These species are the causal agents of grain contamination with type B trichothecene (TCTB) mycotoxins. To help reduce the use of synthetic fungicides while guaranteeing low mycotoxin levels, there is an urgent need to develop new, efficient and environmentally-friendly plant protection solutions. Previously, F. graminearum proteins that could serve as putative targets to block the fungal spread and toxin production were identified and a virtual screening undertaken. Here, two selected compounds, M1 and M2, predicted, respectively, as the top compounds acting on the trichodiene synthase, a key enzyme of TCTB biosynthesis, and the 24-sterol-C-methyltransferase, a protein involved in ergosterol biosynthesis, were submitted for biological tests. Corroborating in silico predictions, M1 was shown to significantly inhibit TCTB yield by a panel of strains. Results were less obvious with M2 that induced only a slight reduction in fungal biomass. To go further, seven M1 analogs were assessed, which allowed evidencing of the physicochemical properties crucial for the anti-mycotoxin activity. Altogether, our results provide the first evidence of the promising potential of computational approaches to discover new anti-mycotoxin solutions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kalanchoe species are succulents with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and analgesic properties, as well as cytotoxic activity. One of the most popular species cultivated in Europe is Kalanchoe daigremontiana Raym.-Hamet and H. Perrier. In our study, we analyzed the phytochemical composition of K. daigremontiana water extract using UHPLC-QTOF-MS and estimated the cytotoxic activity of the extract on human ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, flow cytometry, luminometric, and fluorescent microscopy techniques. The expression levels of 92 genes associated with cell death were estimated via real-time PCR. The antioxidant activity was assessed via flow cytometry on human keratinocyte HaCaT cell line. The DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical and FRAP (ferric-reducing antioxidant power) assays were also applied. We identified twenty bufadienolide compounds in the water extract and quantified eleven. Bersaldegenin-1,3,5-orthoacetate and bryophyllin A were present in the highest amounts (757.4 ± 18.7 and 573.5 ± 27.2 ng/mg dry weight, respectively). The extract showed significant antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity, induced depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane, and significantly arrested cell cycle in the S and G2/M phases of SKOV-3 cells. Caspases-3, 7, 8, and 9 were not activated during the treatment, which indicated non-apoptotic cell death triggered by the extract. Additionally, the extract increased the level of oxidative stress in the cancer cell line. In keratinocytes treated with menadione, the extract moderately reduced the level of oxidative stress. This antioxidant activity was confirmed by the DPPH and FRAP assays, where the obtained IC50 values were 1750 ± 140 and 1271.82 ± 53.25 μg/mL, respectively. The real-time PCR analysis revealed that the extract may induce cell death via TNF receptor (tumor necrosis factor receptor) superfamily members 6 and 10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rising tide of antibacterial drug resistance has given rise to the virtual elimination of numerous erstwhile antibiotics, intensifying the urgent demand for novel agents. A number of drugs have been found to possess potent antimicrobial action during the past several years and have the potential to supplement or even replace the antibiotics. Many of these 'non-antibiotics', as they are referred to, belong to the widely used class of neuroleptics, the phenothiazines. Another chemically and pharmacologically related class is the thioxanthenes, differing in that the aromatic N of the central phenothiazine ring has been replaced by a C atom. Such "carbon-analogues" were primarily synthesized with the hope that these would be devoid of some of the toxic effects of phenothiazines. Intensive studies on syntheses, as well as chemical and pharmacological properties of thioxanthenes, were initiated in the late 1950s. Although a rather close parallelism with respect to structure activity relationships could be observed between phenothiazines and thioxanthenes; several thioxanthenes were synthesized in pharmaceutical industries and applied for human use as neuroleptics. Antibacterial activities of thioxanthenes came to be recognized in the early 1980s in Europe. During the following years, many of these drugs were found not only to be antibacterial agents but also to possess anti-mycobacterial, antiviral (including anti-HIV and anti-SARS-CoV-2) and anti-parasitic properties. Thus, this group of drugs, which has an inhibitory effect on the growth of a wide variety of microorganisms, needs to be explored for syntheses of novel antimicrobial agents. The purpose of this review is to summarize the neuroleptic and antimicrobial properties of this exciting group of bioactive molecules with a goal of identifying potential structures worthy of future exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi L. Spreng.) is a source of herbal material—bearberry leaf (Uvae ursi folium), which is highly valued and sought by pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. For many years, leaves of this plant have been used in traditional medicine as a diuretic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory agent for various diseases of the urogenital tract. The bearberry has also been proposed as a natural antioxidant additive due to the high contents of phenolic compounds in its leaves. The study was focused on characterization of the basic phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of extracts derived from bearberry leaves collected from plants located at the southern border of the geographical range of the species in Europe. The investigated herbal material is characterized by a different chemical profile compared to the chemical profiles of bearberry found in other parts of the continent. Bearberry extracts from plants growing in two different habitat types—heathlands and pine forests showed a wide range of variation, especially in the concentration of hyperoside, corilagin, and methylartutin and the total flavonoid contents. In addition to arbutin, bearberry can be a valuable source of phenolic compounds, which are mainly responsible for the antioxidant properties of extracts. The high content of phenols and high values of antioxidant parameters indicate a high potential of bearberry leaves to be used as a powerful natural source of antioxidants in herbal preparations. Therefore, the A. uva-ursi populations can be a source of plant material for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of selected seven commercial essential oils (EsO) (grapefruit, lemongrass, tea tree (TTO), thyme, verbena, cajeput, and Litsea cubeba) on isolates of common Central European parasitic fungal species of Fusarium obtained from infected wheat kernels, and to evaluate the oils as potential natural fungicides. The study was conducted in 2 stages. At each stage, the fungicidal activity of EsO (with concentrations of 0.025; 0.05; 0.125; 0.25; 0.50; 1.0, and 2.0%) against Fusarium spp. was evaluated using the disc plate method and zones of growth inhibition were measured. At the first stage, the fungistatic activity of EsO was evaluated against four species of Fusarium from the Polish population (F. avenaceum FAPL, F. culmorum FCPL, F. graminearum FGPL and F. oxysporum FOPL). The correlation coefficient between the mycelial growth rate index (T) and the fungistatic activity (FA) was calculated. At the second stage, on the basis of the mycelium growth rate index, the effectiveness of the EsO in limiting the development of Fusarium isolates from the German population (F. culmorum FC1D, F. culmorum FC2D, F. graminearum FG1D, F. graminearum FG2D and F. poae FP0D) was assessed. The first and second stage results presented as a growth rate index were then used to indicate essential oils (as potential natural fungicides) effectively limiting the development of various common Central European parasitic species Fusarium spp. Finally, the sensitivity of four Fusarium isolates from the Polish population and five Fusarium isolates from the German population was compared. The data were compiled in STATISTICA 13.0 (StatSoft, Inc, CA, USA) at the significance level of 0.05. Fusarium isolates from the German population were generally more sensitive than those from the Polish population. The sensitivity of individual Fusarium species varied. Their vulnerability, regardless of the isolate origin, in order from the most to the least sensitive, is as follows: F. culmorum, F. graminearum, F. poae, F. avenaceum and F. oxysporum. The strongest fungicidal activity, similar to Funaben T, showed thyme oil (regardless of the concentration). Performance of citral oils (lemongrass and Litsea cubeba) was similar but at a concentration above 0.025%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The loss of skin integrity is inevitable in life. Wound healing is a necessary sequence of events to reconstitute the body's integrity against potentially harmful environmental agents and restore homeostasis. Attempts to improve cutaneous wound healing are therefore as old as humanity itself. Furthermore, nowadays, targeting defective wound healing is of utmost importance in an aging society with underlying diseases such as diabetes and vascular insufficiencies being on the rise. Because chronic wounds' etiology and specific traits differ, there is widespread polypragmasia in targeting non-healing conditions. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) are an overarching theme accompanying wound healing and its biological stages. ROS are signaling agents generated by phagocytes to inactivate pathogens. Although ROS/RNS's central role in the biology of wound healing has long been appreciated, it was only until the recent decade that these agents were explicitly used to target defective wound healing using gas plasma technology. Gas plasma is a physical state of matter and is a partially ionized gas operated at body temperature which generates a plethora of ROS/RNS simultaneously in a spatiotemporally controlled manner. Animal models of wound healing have been vital in driving the development of these wound healing-promoting technologies, and this review summarizes the current knowledge and identifies open ends derived from in vivo wound models under gas plasma therapy. While gas plasma-assisted wound healing in humans has become well established in Europe, veterinary medicine is an emerging field with great potential to improve the lives of suffering animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid diffusion of new psychoactive substances (NPS) presents unprecedented challenges to both customs authorities and analytical laboratories involved in their detection and characterization. In this study an analytical approach to the identification and structural elucidation of a novel synthetic cannabimimetic, quinolin-8-yl-3-[(4,4-difluoropiperidin-1-yl) sulfonyl]-4-methylbenzoate (2F-QMPSB), detected in seized herbal material, is detailed. An acid precursor 4-methyl-3-(4,4-difluoro-1-piperidinylsulfonyl) benzoic acid (2F-MPSBA), has also been identified in the same seized material. After extraction from the herbal material the synthetic cannabimimetic, also referred to as synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists or "synthetic cannabinoids", was characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), 1H, 13C, 19F and 15N nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HR-MS/MS) combined with chromatographic separation. A cheminformatics platform was used to manage and interpret the analytical data from these techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coffee is a widely consumed beverage, both in Europe, where its consumption is highest, and on other continents. It provides many compounds, including phenolic compounds. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of various brewing methods on the total phenolic content (TPC) in the infusion. Research material comprised commercially available coffees: Instant Arabica and Robusta, freshly ground Arabica and Robusta (immediately prior to the analysis), ground Arabica and Robusta, decaffeinated Arabica, and green Arabica and Robusta. The following preparation methods were used: Pouring hot water over coffee grounds or instant coffee, preparing coffee in a percolator and using a coffee machine. Additional variables which were employed were water temperature (90 or 100 °C) and its type (filtered or unfiltered). In order to determine the impact of examined factors, 225 infusion were prepared. Total phenolic content was determined by the spectrophotometric method using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and the obtained results were expressed in mg gallic acid (GAE) per 100 g of brewed coffee. The highest value was obtained for 100% Arabica ground coffee prepared in a coffee percolator using unfiltered water at a temperature of 100 °C: 657.3 ± 23 mg GAE/100 g of infusion. High values were also observed for infusions prepared in a coffee machine, where the highest TPC value was 363.8 ± 28 mg GAE/100 g for ground Arabica. In turn, the lowest TPC was obtained for Arabica green coffee in opaque packaging, brewed with filtered water at a temperature of 100 °C: 19.5 ± 1 mg GAE/100 g of infusion. No significant effect of temperature and water type on the TPC within one type of coffee was observed. Due to its high content of phenolic compounds, Arabica coffee brewed in a coffee percolator should be the most popular choice for coffee drinkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Europe, pine forests are one of the most extended forests formations, making pine residues and by-products an important source of compounds with high industrial interest as well as for bioenergy production. Moreover, the valorization of lumber industry residues is desirable from a circular economy perspective. Different extraction methods and solvents have been used, resulting in extracts with different constituents and consequently with different bioactivities. Recently, emerging and green technologies as ultrasounds, microwaves, supercritical fluids, pressurized liquids, and electric fields have appeared as promising tools for bioactive compounds extraction in alignment with the Green Chemistry principles. Pine extracts have attracted the researchers' attention because of the positive bioproperties, such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-neurodegenerative, antitumoral, cardioprotective, etc., and potential industrial applications as functional foods, food additives as preservatives, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Phenolic compounds are responsible for many of these bioactivities. However, there is not much information in the literature about the individual phenolic compounds of extracts from the pine species. The present review is about the reutilization of residues and by-products from the pine species, using ecofriendly technologies to obtain added-value bioactive compounds for industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the biomass of unicellular algae as a source of valuable metabolites. The main limitations in the commercial application of microbial biomass are associated with the costs of production thereof. Maize silage is one of the main substrates used in biogas plants in Europe. The effects of sterilized agricultural liquid digestate (LD) from methane fermentation of maize silage on the growth rates, macro and micronutrient removal efficiency, lipid content, and fatty acid profile in Auxenochlorella protothecoides were investigated. The results indicate that A. prothecoides can proliferate and accumulate lipids with simultaneous reduction of nutrients in the 1:20 diluted liquid digestate. The rate of nitrogen and phosphorus removal from the liquid digestate was 79.45% and 78.4%, respectively. Cells growing in diluted liquid digestate exhibited the maximum lipid content, i.e., 44.65%. The fatty acid profile of A. prothecoides shows a decrease in the content of linolenic acid by 20.87% and an increase in oleic acid by 32.16% in the LD, compared with the control. The liquid digestate changed the content of monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The cells of A. protothecoides growing in the liquid digestate were characterized by lower PUFA content and higher MUFA levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the number of macromolecular structures in the worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB) continues to grow rapidly, more attention is being paid to the quality of its data, especially for use in aggregated structural and dynamics analyses. In this study, we systematically analyzed 3.5 Å regions around all metal ions across all PDB entries with supporting electron density maps available from the PDB in Europe. All resulting metal ion-centric regions were evaluated with respect to four quality-control criteria involving electron density resolution, atom occupancy, symmetry atom exclusion, and regional electron density discrepancy. The resulting list of metal binding sites passing all four criteria possess high regional structural quality and should be beneficial to a wide variety of downstream analyses. This study demonstrates an approach for the pan-PDB evaluation of metal binding site structural quality with respect to underlying X-ray crystallographic experimental data represented in the available electron density maps of proteins. For non-crystallographers in particular, we hope to change the focus and discussion of structural quality from a global evaluation to a regional evaluation, since all structural entries in the wwPDB appear to have both regions of high and low structural quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Privilegium maius is one of the most famous and spectacular forgeries in medieval Europe. It is a set of charters made in the 14th century upon commitment by Duke Rudolf IV, a member of the Habsburg family, to elevate the rank and the prestige of his family. These five charters, now kept at the Österreichisches Staatsarchiv in Vienna, have been subjected to a thorough interdisciplinary study in order to shed light on its controversial story. The charters are composed of pergamenaceous documents bound to wax seals with coloured textile threads. The present contribution concerns the characterisation of the inks used for writing and of the dyes used to colour to the threads: Are they compatible with the presumed age of the charters? Though showing only a part of the whole story of the charters, dyes analysis could contribute in assessing their complex history from manufacturing to nowadays. The dyes were characterised with non-invasive in situ measurements by means of fibre optic (FORS) and with micro-invasive measurements by means of Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analysis. The results showed that the threads of four of the charters (three dyed with madder, one with orchil) were apparently coloured at different dyeing stages, then re-dyed in the 19–20th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many publications have described the potential cardioprotective action of different medicinal plants, relating this effect with blood lipid levels. However, these publications do not justify the right amount of plant administered, which can vary greatly. Sideritis hyssopifolia is a little woody plant endemic to western and southwestern Europe. We have quantified its antioxidant activity, which can be used as an indicator of its cardioprotective action. This study evaluates the antioxidant capacity of Sideritis hyssopifolia to design a feed whose hypolipidemic effects are proven in cholesterol-fed New Zealand rabbits. Antioxidant action was assessed in infusions, which were prepared with 1 or 3 g of plant in 200 mL of water by using an ABTS assay and expressed as Ascorbic acid Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (AEAC). Aqueous infusions with infusion times of 10 min and prepared with 3 g plant exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity. Sideritis hyssopifolia showed an intermediate antioxidant capacity for the concentrations and times of the infusion tested. According to our results, we suggest incorporating 2.36 g of S. hyssopifolia every 150 g of rabbit feeding stuff (15.73 g/kg). This chow decreased cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides levels in cholesterol-fed rabbits, as well as the atherogenic index. This reduction was similar to that obtained with simvastatin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]