Search

A novel three-phase extraction and purification procedure was developed to prepare high-quality flavonoids from surplus tea leaves. Flavonoids were selectively extracted in ethyl acetate (EtOAc) by the EtOAc-water-leaf three-phase extraction, with 91.2% extraction efficiency, more than 50% higher than the traditional water extraction. The EtOAc extracts were purified by the EtOAc-water- montmorillonite/charcoal three-phase adsorptive purification at 98% recovery. Highly purified flavonoids were obtained with less than 1.0% caffeine. The overall flavonoid recovery reached 90.3%, more than 40% higher than traditional methods. This procedure highly simplified the processes and significantly increased the recovery of flavonoid production from tea leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urban wastewater treatment industry produces a large amount of excess activated sludge which is mainly composed of microbial biomass and costly to be disposed. In this research, a comprehensive utilization of activated sludge was developed by sequentially extracting hydrolytic enzymes and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), and the residue was used to prepare water-retaining organic fertilizer. The sludge was extracted with fourfold H2O-containing 1% Triton X-100 with the yield of 66.7% protease activity. The enzyme solution was precipitated in 80% acetone and vacuum dried at 40°C at the dried enzyme yield of 2.4 g/kg wet sludge. The enzyme product contains collagenase, lipase, amylase, and cellulase activities, which are good compound enzymes to feed. The PHAs were extracted with 30% sodium hypoclorite:chloroform (1:3). The PHA solution was decolored and dried, and pure white PHAs were obtained at the yield of 70.1 g/kg wet sludge. The residue was used to prepare water-retaining organic fertilizer at the optimal condition. The fertilizer absorbs 131.3-fold distilled water and had good performance in water retention and can effectively slow down the loss of soil moisture when added into soil. This work provides a simple and practical approach for comprehensive utilizing activated sludge with significant economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Journal of Food Science (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: To compare the clinical effects between closed reduction and internal fixation (CRIF) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) for displaced femoral neck fracture.Methods: In this prospective randomized study, 285 patients aged above 65 years with hip fractures (Garden III or IV) were included from January 2001 to December 2005. The cases were randomly allocated to either the CRIF group or THA group. Patients with pathological fractures (bone tumors or metabolic bone disease), preoperative avascular necrosis of the femoral head, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, hemiplegia, long-term bed rest and complications affecting hip functions were excluded.Results: During the 5-year follow-up, CRIF group had significantly higher rates of complication in hip joint, general complication and reoperation than THA group (38.3% vs. 12.7%, P<0.01; 45.3% vs. 21.7%, P<0.01; 33.6% vs. 10.2%, P<0.05 respectively). There was no difference in mortality between the two groups. Postoperative function of the hip joint in THA group recovered favorably with higher Harris scores.Conclusion: For displaced fractures of the femoral neck in elderly patients, THA can achieve a lower rate of complication and reoperation, as well as better postoperative recovery of hip joint function compared with CRIF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Introduction Camptothecin, a widely used natural anti-cancer drug, is difficult to extract and purify effectively from plants. Objective To develop new and highly efficient extraction and purification methods for analysis and production of camptothecin from leaves and fruits of Camptotheca acuminata and Nothapodytes pittosporoides roots. Methods Dried materials were loaded in empty columns with fivefold 60% ethanol for leaves or 70% ethanol for fruits of C. acumnata, and sixfold 70% ethanol for N. pittosporoides roots. The columns were eluted with the same solvents at room temperature. Eluent was collected as extraction solution. Extraction solution from leaves and fruits of C. acuminata was vacuum-evaporated to remove ethanol, precipitated at pH 8.0 to remove alkaline insolubles and fractionated with chloroform at pH 3.0, which yields a crude product with 70% purity. Extraction solution from N. pittosporoides roots was concentrated to 1/10 volume and precipitated at pH 3.0, which yields a crude product with 60% purity. All crude products were purified by crystallisation. All steps were monitored by HPLC. Results Camptothecin was extracted from the three plant materials at a 98% rate with 15- or 18-fold solvent for content analysis, or at a 97% rate with five- or sixfold solvent for production. All crude products were purified to 98%. The overall recovery rates of camptothecin from plant materials to purified products reached 92% or higher. Conclusion The new procedures are simple and highly efficient, and have multiple advantages for quantitative analysis and large production of camptothecin from plants. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• M. oleifera seeds are rich in oil, proteins, and glucosinolates (GLC). • Oil, proteins, and GLC were simultaneously extracted by more than 95%. • Purified oil, proteins, and GLC yielded at 22.3%, 33.0%, and 5.5%, respectively. • Refined oil had 76.3% unsaturated fatty acids and 72.3% oleic acid. • GLC was identified by LC-MS as 4-α-rhamnopyranosyloxy-benzyl glucosinolate. Moringa oleifera is a worldwide cultivated edible and medicinal plant. Its seeds are rich in oil, proteins, and glucosinolates. A practical method was developed to simultaneously extract and separate the three groups of substances from M. oleifera seeds. Smashed seed material was loaded into columns with petroleum ether: ethanol 8:2 (PE-ethanol) and eluted sequentially with 4.8-fold PE-ethanol to extract oil, and 10.8-fold water to extract proteins and glucosinolates. More than 95% of oil, proteins, and glucosinolates were extracted. The extracts were separated automatically into ether (oil) phase and ethanol aqueous phase. The latter was further separated into proteins and glucosinolates by 70% ethanol precipitation. The main glucosinolate was identified by LC-MS as GLC (4-α-rhamnopyranosyloxy-benzyl glucosinolate). After purification, 22.3 g refined oil, 33.0 g proteins, and 5.5 g purified GLC from 100 g M. oleifera seeds were obtained. This study provides a simple and high-efficient method to utilize M. oleifera seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Segmental ureterectomy is less invasive than radical nephroureterectomy and results in nephron preservation and satisfactory tumor control. This study was to determine the feasibility of segmental ureteroileal conduit resection (SUICR) for patients with distal upper urinary tract recurrence of bladder cancer following radical cystectomy. Four patients with high-grade distal upper urinary tract recurrence underwent SUICR 15-108 months after radical cystectomy. The surgical technique details of SUICR, operative results, and follow-up outcomes are reported. The median operation time was 280 min, and estimated blood loss was less than 100 mL. One patient suffered from ileus 5 days after surgery and was managed conservatively. Histopathologic evaluation showed high-grade stages pTa-pT1 diseases for these patients, and ureteral margins were all negative. No patient suffered from tumor recurrence, with a median follow-up of 39 months. SUICR preserved the ipsilateral renal unit and conformed to oncological principles during surgery. The oncological outcome was satisfactory for these properly selected patients. This technique provides a valid alternative to nephroureterectomy for patients with imperative indications and high-grade upper urinary tract recurrence of bladder cancer following radical cystectomy.