Facile Preparation of Activated Carbon from Peanut Shell for Determination of Bisphenol A in Human Urine by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography.
Herein, a facile and low-cost method for the preparation of activated carbon from peanut shell was developed for the first time for the fast extraction and determination of Bisphenol A in human urine. Bisphenol A was separated by EC-C18 column (250 mm×4.6 mm, 4 μm) and was detected by VWD, with retention time for qualitative analysis and peak area for quantitation. The parameters, pH values of the urine, adsorbent dose, adsorption time and so on, were optimized to achieve the excellent extraction performance. The detection limit of Bisphenol A in human urine was 1.0 ng · mL-1 (S/N = 3), and the standard curve was linear in the range of 5.0 ng · mL-1˜200.0 ng · mL-1 (r = 0.9993). The average recovery of Bisphenol A was 78.5˜96.2% at three spiked levels in the range of 5.00 ng · mL-1˜200.00 ng·mL-1. The method was proved simple, practical and highly sensitive, which could satisfy the request for the determination of Bisphenol A in human urine.
Effects of NaOH, thermal, and combined NaOH-thermal pretreatments on the biomethane yields from the anaerobic digestion of walnut shells.
Anaerobic digestion (AD) of walnut shells (WS) results in only a limited biomethane yield because of their high fibre content, which ultimately represents an essentially nonbiodegradable lignocellulosic biomass. In the present study, thermal (i.e. 50-250 °C), alkaline (i.e. 1-5% w/w NaOH) and combined alkaline-thermal (i.e. 4% w/w NaOH + 150 °C thermal) pretreatment methods have been applied to increase the anaerobic biodegradation of WS. The highest biomethane yields of 159.9 ± 6.8 mL CH4.g VS-1 and 169.8 ± 6.8 mL CH4.g VS-1 were achieved after pretreatment at both 250 °C and with 4% NaOH. After combined NaOH-thermal pretreatments, the AD process showed the largest total VFA concentration (i.e. 1280.1 mg Hac L-1) but a relatively high lag phase (i.e. 3.90 days) compared to thermal and NaOH pretreatments alone, from which the highest biomethane yield (i.e. 192.4 ± 8.2 mL CH4.g VS-1 ) was achieved at the end of the AD process. The highest biomethane yield from the combined NaOH-thermal pretreated WS was corroborated by the corresponding highest SCOD/TCOD ratio (i.e. 0.37 ± 0.02) and the highest lignocellulosic fibre removal (i.e. 41.1 ± 2.7% cellulose, 35.6 ± 1.8% hemicellulose, and 58.7 ± 3.2% lignin). The cumulative biomethane yields were further simulated via a modified Gompertz model. This study provides a promising strategy in the sense that the biomethane yield of WS containing large amounts of lignin can be significantly increased via thermal, NaOH, and combined NaOH-thermal pretreatment methods.
Synthesis and Characterization of Activated Carbon from Biowaste-Peanut Shell and Application to Preconcentration/Removal of Uranium.
This study aims to synthesize and characterize an economical and ecological adsorbent with high adsorption capacity. For this purpose, the peanut shells (Pistacia vera L.) were modified chemically. After the synthesis of activated carbon (AC), the optimum conditions for enrichment steps were performed using parameters: pH and contact time for uranium in the model solutions. The measurements were carried out by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). From the shapes of the BET isotherms, the AC obtained exhibits type I. The study indicated that the surface area and total pore volume of the AC were found to be 679.9 m2 g-1 and 0.31 cc g-1, respectively. The adsorption capacity was found to be 260 mg g-1. The optimum pH was found to be 6.0 for enrichment using the AC obtained by sulfuric acid as a chemical-modifier. The optimized method was applied to enrichment of U at ppb levels in the model solutions.
Combustion of pellets produced from the powders of coconut and cashew nut shells: Chemical, thermal and emission analyses.
Most of the energy consumed worldwide comes from non-renewable sources, such as oil derivatives, making it necessary to search for renewable, clean energy sources, with emphasis on biomass from agricultural and industrial waste. Coconut shell pellets (CSPs) and cashew nut shell pellets (CNSPs) were manufactured and subsequently subjected to chemical, thermal and exhaust gas analyses of their combustion. Mean temperature results in the combustion area were 366.44 ± 84.79°C (CSPs) and 295.00 ± 89.47°C (CNSPs). The exhaust gas combustion values were 19.43 ± 0.57% (CSPs) and 18.75 ± 0.77% (CNSPs) of O2, 2348 ± 1241 ppm (CSPs) and 2901 ± 499 ppm (CNSPs) of CO, 14.92 ± 5.06 ppm (CSPs) and 39.83 ± 10.91 ppm (CNSPs) of NOx, and 441.25 ± 130.41 ppm (CSPs) and 2841.50 ± 765.26 ppm (CNSPs) of CH4. In conclusion, the combustion process of CSPs proved to be less polluting and more energy efficient when compared with CNSPs. The analyses of the exhaust gases from the combustion of these biomasses can serve as a basis for the creation of safety parameters and public policies to regulate the use of biomass for energy purposes.
Comparison of Microwave Short Time and Oven Heating Pretreatment on Crystallization of Raisins.
Crystalline material can develop on the surface of raisins during storage and transport, affecting the final acceptability of the product. In this work, a mild thermal pretreatment was applied to raisins to melt the pre-existing crystals and the effect of such thermal treatments on the development of crystals over a storage period was investigated. The raisins selected for this study were of the Thompson seedless variety from one Chilean company. The thermal pretreatment of raisins at 50 °C and 70 °C for 20 min in an oven and microwave (800 W) irradiation for 15 s resulted in a reduction in the percentage of crystallized raisins (w/w) from more than 50% in the control samples to less than 10% after 35 days of storage at 15 and 25 °C in a 57% relative humidity environment. The results showed that some textural parameters, such as cohesiveness and chewiness, were not affected by thermal treatment and were independent of storage temperature.
The Occurrence of Aflatoxins in Nuts and Dry Nuts Packed in Four Different Plastic Packaging from the Romanian Market.
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by various fungi. A very important category of mycotoxins are aflatoxins, considered to be the most dangerous in humans. Aflatoxin B1, well known as a favorable factor in the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in humans, is the most controversial of all mycotoxins. Aflatoxins, found in naturally contaminated food, are resistant to degradation by heat. Current food processing practices and conventional storage conditions do not completely eliminate aflatoxin contamination from the food supply chain. Long storage food products-such as peanuts, pistachio, nuts in general, and dried fruits-are susceptible to aflatoxins contamination. The type of plastic material can influence the concentration of aflatoxins during storage due to the permeability to gas and moisture exchange with the external milieu. Nuts in general and dried fruits are consumed in large quantities worldwide. Therefore, herein we investigated the effect of plastic material on the total aflatoxins and aflatoxin B1 content in 64 samples of nuts and dried fruits packed and stored in low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The method consisted in a cleanup procedure using immunoaffinity columns coupled with RIDASCREEN FAST immunoenzymatic competitive assays based on the ELISA technique. Collected data were subjected to statistical analysis and multiple comparisons tests were applied. From the total analyzed samples, 14.06% exceeded the maximum admitted European levels for total aflatoxins. The highest concentrations of total aflatoxins were obtained from samples packed in LDPE, followed by PP, PE, and PET. Aflatoxin B1 was detected in all samples packed in LDPE, PP, and PE. Most of the samples packed in PET had concentrations <1 µg/kg. These results indicate that nuts in general packed and stored in LDPE are more prone to contamination with aflatoxins, while PET is more suitable for maintaining the quality and safety of these products.
Management of Navel Orangeworm (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Using Four Commercial Mating Disruption Systems in California Almonds.
The navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella (Walker), is the most significant pest of California almonds. Direct feeding on the kernel by the larvae causes reductions in salable crop, crop quality, and exportability. Pheromone mating disruption (MD) targeting navel orangeworm is a relatively new technique with the potential to improve management. In 2017, we used replicated ~16-ha plots to compare the efficacy of four commercial MD systems (CheckMate, Cidetrak, Isomate, and Semios) for their relative impacts on the number of navel orangeworm in monitoring traps and crop quality. From 2017 to 2018, we conducted nine direct comparison studies in 16 to 40 ha almond orchards to compare conventional pest management programs to programs incorporating pheromone MD systems. Across all studies, MD reduced male moth captures in pheromone traps by >94%. In the efficacy study, use of mating disruption led to 35% and 53% reductions in kernel damage in Nonpareil and pollinizer cultivars, respectively, and an average increase in crop value of $370 ha-1. In the direct comparison, kernel damage to Nonpareil and pollinizer cultivars was reduced by 65% and 78%, respectively, resulting in an average increase in crop value of $357 ha-1. Economic analyses showed that increases in crop returns exceeded the costs of implementing MD systems with the break-even point ranging from 0.86 to 1.06% of kernel damage. These results suggest that adding MD to an existing navel orangeworm management program is a cost-effective way to reduce damage while promoting sustainable pest management practices.
Impact of age on adherence and efficacy of peanut oral-immunotherapy using a standardized protocol.
Peanut oral immunotherapy (POIT) has been shown to be an effective therapy in peanut allergic children, as it improves food allergy-related quality of life [1-2] . Randomized controlled trials and observational, real world studies have shown that POIT may be effective and safe in children of all ages, although starting POIT at a younger age may be more efficacious and safer [3,5, 8] . Furthermore, initiation of POIT at a younger age may have higher rates of sustained unresponsiveness [3] . However, there has not been formal evaluation of this concept, using a standardized protocol [6] . The aim of our study was to examine associations between the age at initiation of POIT, and the safety of POIT, using a standardized protocol for all patients.
Protocol for a randomized controlled trial to test the acceptability and adherence to 6-months of walnut supplementation in Chinese adults at high risk of cardiovascular disease.
Background: Consumption of nuts improves cardio-metabolic risk factors in clinical trials and relates to lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in prospective observational studies. However, there has not been an adequately powered randomized controlled trial to test if nuts supplementation actually reduces incident CVD. In order to establish the feasibility of such a trial, the current study aimed to assess the acceptability and adherence to long-term nut supplementation amongst individuals at high CVD risk in China. Methods: This protocol described a 6-month trial performed in Ningxia Province in China among participants with a history of CVD or older age (female ≥65 years, male ≥60 years) with multiple CVD risk factors. Participants were randomized to control (received non-edible gift), low dose walnut (30 g/d), or high dose walnut (60 g/d) groups in a 1:1:1 ratio. Walnuts were provided at no cost to participants and could be consumed according to personal preferences. Follow-up visits were scheduled at 2 weeks, 3 months and 6 months. The primary outcome was fasting plasma alpha linolenic acid (ALA) levels used as an indicator of walnut consumption. Secondary outcomes included self-reported walnut intake from the 24 h dietary recalls. The target sample size of 210 provided 90% statistical power with two-sided alpha of 0.05 to detect a mean difference of 0.12% (as percent of total fatty acid) in plasma ALA between randomized groups. Results: Two hundred and ten participants were recruited and randomized during October 2019. Mean age of participants was 65 years (SD = 7.3), 47% were females, and 94% had a history of CVD at baseline. Across the three study groups, participants had similar baseline demographic and clinical characteristics. Discussion: This trial will quantify acceptability and adherence to long-term walnut supplementation in a Chinese population at high risk of CVD. The findings will support the design of a future large trial to test the effect of walnut supplementation for CVD prevention.
Blueberry and cranberry anthocyanin extracts reduce bodyweight and modulate gut microbiota in C57BL/6 J mice fed with a high-fat diet.
Purpose. Blueberry and cranberry are rich in anthocyanins. The present study was to investigate the effects of anthocyanin extracts from blueberry and cranberry on body weight and gut microbiota. Methods. C57BL/6 J Mice were divided into six groups (n = 9 each) fed one of six diets namely low-fat diet (LFD), high-fat diet (HFD), HFD with the addition of 1% blueberry extract (BL), 2% blueberry extract (BH), 1% cranberry extract (CL), and 2% cranberry extract (CH), respectively. Results. Feeding BL and BH diets significantly decreased body weight gain by 20–23%, total adipose tissue weight by 18–20%, and total liver lipids by 16–18% compared with feeding HFD. Feeding CH diet but not CL diet reduced the body weight by 27%, accompanied by a significant reduction of total plasma cholesterol by 25% and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) by 38%. The metagenomic analysis showed that the supplementation of blueberry and cranberry anthocyanin extracts reduced plasma lipopolysaccharide concentration, accompanied by a reduction in the relative abundance of Rikenella and Rikenellaceae. Dietary supplementation of berry anthocyanin extracts promoted the growth of Lachnoclostridium, Roseburia, and Clostridium_innocuum_group in genus level, leading to a greater production of fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). Conclusions. It was concluded that both berry anthocyanins could manage the body weight and favorably modulate the gut microbiota at least in mice.