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Summary: Functionalities of proteins for the formulation of protein‐fortified products are crucial, impacting the use of protein from sustainable sources such as algae. Glycation (the initial step of the Maillard browning reaction) is a standout modification technique explored to improve the functions of the protein in the food matrices. In this study, Chlorella powder was conjugated with inulin using a wet glycation method. It is a quick, scalable and easy method for improving the functionality of food proteins. In this study, conjugation was performed for three different Chlorella to inulin molar ratios (S1:1, S3:1 and S5:1). The solution of each molar ratio was heated at 90°C for 30 min under alkaline state (9.0 pH). Characterisation was conducted employing OPA assay, browning intensity and FTIR spectroscopy techniques. The results suggested glycation achieved the highest for the Chlorella‐inulin ratio of 1:1. Glycation extent influenced the solubility of this conjugate significantly (P < 0.05) under an acidic medium. Other functional properties including hydration, moisture uptake, oil‐binding and emulsifying activity were also significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced compared to unmodified Chlorella powder. Chlorella conjugate with molar ratio 1:1 also displayed higher antioxidant properties suggesting glycation's role in improving Chlorella powder free radical scavenging capabilities (1.25‐fold increase) and reducing power (2.24‐fold increase). The total scavenging activity and total reducing power of S1:1 were 2.526 × 10−3 and 1.872 × 10−3 mg mL−1 mg−1(Trolox Eq.), respectively. The results provide an understanding of different functionalities for glycated conjugates promising utilisation in the food and beverage industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1H fast field-cycling and time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry studies have been performed for 15 samples of sugar of different kinds and origins (brown, white, cane, beet sugar). The extensive data set, including results for crystal sugar and sugar/water mixtures, has been thoroughly analyzed, with a focus on identifying relaxation contributions associated with the solid and liquid fractions of the systems and non-exponentiality of the relaxation processes. It has been observed that 1H spin–lattice relaxation rates for crystal sugar (solid) vary between 0.45 s−1 and 0.59 s−1, and the relaxation process shows only small deviations from exponentiality (a quantitative measure of the exponentiality has been provided). The 1H spin–lattice relaxation process for sugar/water mixtures has turned out to be bi-exponential, with the relaxation rates varying between about 13 s−1–17 s−1 (for the faster component) and about 2.1 s−1–3.5 s−1 (for the slower component), with the ratio between the amplitudes of the relaxation contributions ranging between 2.8 and 4.2. The narrow ranges in which the parameters vary make them a promising marker of the quality and authenticity of sugar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyethersulfone (PES) membranes are prevalent in the field of water treatment owing to their exceptional separation efficiency, robust mechanical properties, and resistance to chemical degradation. Nevertheless, these membranes are prone to fouling, resulting in a decrease in both flux and ultrafiltration efficiency. In the present study, PES membranes are blended with poly (3‐Sulfopropyl Methacrylate) (PSPMA) in various weight percentages (0%–3%) to improve their antifouling and ultrafiltration properties. The physicochemical properties of the blended membranes, including surface morphology, contact angle, hydrophilicity and surface energy are evaluated. The findings indicate that incorporation PSPMA results in an enhancement of the hydrophilic properties and surface charge of the PES membranes, assessed by employing Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) as a representative protein. Modified blended membranes display greater Flux Recovery Ratio (FRR%) and exhibit superior fouling resistance. Under the same experimental conditions (0.2 MPa applied pressure), a pure water flux of 154.18 L·m−2·h−1 for PES/PSPMA membrane found substantially greater than pure PES membrane (103.52 L·m−2·h−1) along with Total Fouling Ratio (TFR) of 36% and 64.9% respectively. Exceptional antimicrobial efficacy for modified membranes is revealed against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) using disc diffusion technique rendering them well‐suited for water treatment applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In sensing applications, the preferential adsorption of molecules on selective Co3O4 facets has been explored, yielding high sensitivity and selectivity. This tendency of the molecules can be exploited to enhance methane decomposition efficiency in transition metal catalysts other than nickel, which is known to cause acute toxicity. This study fabricated Co3O4 catalysts with and without algal-resourced biogenic agents to calculate the preferential orientations or facets of the catalyst crystals. Henceforth, it evaluated their cytotoxicity and methane decomposition efficiency in a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition reactor from 750 to 850 °C using 0.04% (w/w) Co3O4/Al2O3-Si of nanocatalyst loaded on an Al2O3-coated p-type silicon support at different reaction conditions. Alg-Co3O4 (311) nanocatalysts (0.158 eV/Å2), derived from algal biomass containing catalytically active stepped sites and catering efficient chemisorption of carbon atoms, executed 43.4% methane decomposition as opposed to 34% by NaBH4-co-precipitated Ch-Co3O4 (111) nanocatalysts (0.132 eV/Å2). The Alg-Co3O4 (311) catalysts were nanometric in size; possessed higher ductility, per particle surface area; and were less cytotoxic for erythrocytes, leukocytes and U87 cells than the Ch-Co3O4 (111) nanocatalysts. This state of the art provides a new platform to resource algal metabolites for tailoring catalytic efficiency at the nanoscale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]