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This study is the beginning of the research that focuses on unconventional ionic liquids (ILs) hydrodistillation (HD) extraction of the essential oil of Heliotropium europaeum L. using ILs as additives. Two ILs based on 1- butyl-3-methylimidazolium were used by switching the anions (Cl- and PF6 -). The effect of mass percent of the added ILs on its yield and composition was evaluated. Compared to the conventional HD, ILs-HD gives a higher yield of essential oils (0.10–0.36 %). Particularly, with [C4mim][PF6], the observation of morphological changes using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the effectiveness of the ionic liquid in this distillation process. The GC– –MS analysis of essential oils (EOs) revealed the presence of sixty-six compounds in HD, ILs-HD methods. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of the EOs revealed the predominance of eugenol (1.70–72.35 %), butylated hydroxytoluene (8.95–65.39 %) and phytol (18.20 %). The new distillation methods of H. europaeum with ILs identifies more compounds (50 compounds in ILs-HD [C4mim][PF6]; 22 compounds in ILs-HD ([C4mim][Cl]) than conventional hydrodistillation (25 compounds in HD). Therefore, the ILs- -based hydrodistillation approach is superior in improving the production of EOs. It is important to emphasize that the data presented in this study are not yet available for any of this Algerian Heliotropium species of genus and present the great potential of this medicinal plant as a source of novel bioactive extracts with possible therapeutic uses.

A dominant extensional flow mixing device (Reactor/Elongational Flow MiXer; RMX) was used to prepare styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)/silica nanocomposites with high physical performances. First, the processing parameters such as the temperature, number of mixing cycles, and sequenced mixing protocol have been optimized. Thereafter, the morphological structure of different compounds was probed using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The prediction of the flow properties during processing of uncured materials were modeled using the dynamic and capillary rheometry. The thermo-mechanical sweep behavior of the as-prepared silica-filled SBR specimens was also investigated. By comparing with SBR/silica compounds prepared by the internal mixer, it was proven that elongational flow mixing process can not only reduce mixing energy consumption but also make the manufactured parts to have high state of dispersion, excellent viscoelastic properties, high extensional and yield stresses, and high elastic and rubbery moduli. This study highlights the potential of the elongational flow mixing as an innovative processing approach which is compatible with the industrial expectations for the fast manufacturing of high-performance silica and carbon black filled rubber compounds.

This study explores the synergistic antibacterial effects of essential oils (EOs) and phenolic extracts from three plants against foodborne pathogenic bacteria. The present work aimed to investigate the synergistic effects of the binary and the ternary combinations of extracts using different blend proportions of the following plant extracts: Artemisia campestris (AC), Artemisia herba alba (AHA), and Citrus aurantium (CA). The antimicrobial activities of EOs and phenolic extracts were determined and evaluated against five strains. For the EOs, the results of the DIZ showed the existence of synergism for different combinations of binary blends, such as AC/AHA or AHA/CA against Escherichia coli, and AC/CA against Enterobacter faecalis. In addition, ternary blends of AC:AHA:CA at a ratio of 1/6:2/3:1/6 exhibited a synergy effect, as measured by the CI, against E. coli. On the other hand, for the phenolic extracts, synergistic effects were noticed for binary blends of AC/CA at different ratios against E. coli, E. faecalis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. Similarly, ternary blends of phenolic extracts presented synergy against E. coli, E. faecalis, P. aeruginosa strains, and even C. albicans. In this case, the blending ratios were crucial determining factors for maximizing the synergy effect. The study established that the proportion of a single drug could play an essential role in determining the bioefficacy of a drug combination treatment. Therefore, the results showed the importance of studying the modulation of antibacterial activities based on the proportions of extracts in the mixture and finding the range of proportions (as determined by SLMD) that have a synergistic/additive/antagonistic effect with no or low side effects, which can be used in a food preservation system.

Cholera, a life-threatening diarrheal disease, is caused by Vibrio cholerae O1, or more rarely O139, serogroup bacteria that produce cholera toxin (CTX) and induce rapid massive loss of body fluids [...]

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the volatility connectedness between energy and agricultural commodities across different quantiles and time horizons. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses the quantile frequency connectedness approach on daily data spanning from January 2019 to November 2023. Findings: The results indicate a sharp increase in total connectedness during the COVID-19 crisis and the Russian−Ukrainian conflict, suggesting that both the crisis and the war contribute to volatility spillover among energy and soft commodities. In fact, the findings suggest that, in the short term, the effects of the pandemic have a greater impact on dynamic risk spillover than those of the war. However, over the long term, the consequences of geopolitical tensions related to the war exert a more significant influence compared to the effects of the pandemic. Originality/value: This study confirms that energy market prices and oil uncertainty play a significant role in explaining fluctuations in agricultural commodities across diverse timeframes, frequencies and quantiles. Particularly, at extreme quantiles, the results indicate that large shocks have a more pronounced impact than small shocks. These findings hold important implications for policymakers and market participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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