Analysis of Free Sugars, Organic Acids, and Fatty Acids of Wood Apple (Limonia acidissima L.) Fruit Pulp

Wood apple (Limonia acidissima L.) is an underutilized, fruit-yielding tree that is native to India and Sri Lanka. Wood apple trees are also cultivated in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Kampuchea, Laos, and Indonesia for delicious fruits and medicinal purposes. The major objective of the present work was the analysis of the nutritional status of wood apple fruit pulp.The fruits are rich in total carbohydrates (24.74 ± 0.19%), total proteins (9.30 ± 0.16%), oil (0.99 ± 0.01%), fiber (3.32 ± 0.02%), and ash (2.73 ± 0.12%). Further analysis and quantification of free sugars, organic acids, and fatty acid methyl esters were carried out by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatographic (GC) methods. In total, five sugars and nine organic acids were detected and quantified. The predominant sugars were fructose (16.40 ± 0.23%) and glucose (14.23 ± 0.10%), whereas the predominant organic acids were D-tartaric (4.01 ± 0.03%), ascorbic (4.51 ± 0.05%), and citric acid (4.27 ± 0.04%). The oil content of fruit pulp was 0.99 ± 0.01% and GC-MS analysis revealed that, it comprise of 16 fatty acid methyl esters. The percentage of saturated fatty acids were 32.17 ± 0.35%, that includes palmitic (18.52 ± 0.12%) and stearic acids (9.02 ± 0.08%), whereas, the unsaturated fatty acids were 51.98 ± 0.94%, including oleic acid (23.89 ± 0.06%), α-linolenic acid (16.55 ± 0.26%), linoleic acid (10.02 ± 0.43%), and vaccenic acid (1.78 ± 0.23%).

Palm Oil Mill Effluent for Lipid Production by the Diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana

Biomass and lipid production by the marine centric diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana were characterized in media based on palm oil mill effluent (POME) as a source of key nutrients. The optimal medium comprised 20% by volume POME, 80 µM Na2SiO3, and 35 g NaCl L−1 in water at pH ~7.7. In 15-day batch cultures (16:8 h/h light–dark cycle; 200 µmol photons m−2 s−1, 26 ± 1 °C) bubbled continuously with air mixed with CO2 (2.5% by vol), the peak concentration of dry biomass was 869 ± 14 mg L−1 corresponding to a productivity of ~58 mg L−1 day−1. The neutral lipid content of the biomass was 46.2 ± 1.1% by dry weight. The main components of the esterified lipids were palmitoleic acid methyl ester (31.6% w/w) and myristic acid methyl ester (16.8% w/w). The final biomass concentration and the lipid content were affected by the light–dark cycle. Continuous (24 h light) illumination at the above-specified irradiance reduced biomass productivity to ~54 mg L−1 day−1 and lipid content to 38.1%.

Efficient and regioselective synthesis of dihydroxy-substituted 2-aminocyclooctane-1-carboxylic acid and its bicyclic derivatives

The first synthesis of 2-amino-3,4-dihydroxycyclooctane-1-carboxylic acid, methyl 6-hydroxy-9-oxo-8-oxabicyclo[5.2.1]decan-10-yl)carbamate, and 10-amino-6-hydroxy-8-oxabicyclo[5.2.1]decan-9-one starting from cis-9-azabicyclo[6.2.0]dec-6-en-10-one is described. cis-9-Azabicyclo[6.2.0]dec-6-en-10-one was transformed into the corresponding amino ester and its protected amine. Oxidation of the double bond in the N-Boc-protected methyl 2-aminocyclooct-3-ene-1-carboxylate then delivered the targeted amino acid and its derivatives. Density-functional theory (DFT) computations were used to explain the reaction mechanism for the ring opening of the epoxide and the formation of five-membered lactones. The stereochemistry of the synthesized compounds was determined by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The configuration of methyl 6-hydroxy-9-oxo-8-oxabicyclo[5.2.1]decan-10-yl)carbamate was confirmed by X-ray diffraction.

Transformation of Triglycerides to Fatty Acid Methyl Esters with Hydrophilic Sulfonated Silica (SiO2-SO3H) as Catalyst and Quaternary Ammonium Salts in Toluene or DMSO

Triglycerides of waste cooking oil reacted with methanol in refluxing toluene to yield mixtures of diglycerides, monoglycerides and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) in the presence of 20% (w/w) catalyst/oil using the hydrophilic sulfonated silica (SiO2-SO3H) catalyst alone or with the addition of 10% (w/w) co-catalyst/oil [(Bun4N)](BF4) or Aliquat 336]. The addition of the ammonium salts to the catalyst lead to a decrease in the amounts of diglycerides in the products, but the concentrations of monoglycerides increased. Mixtures of [(Bun4N)](BF4)/catalyst were superior to catalyst alone or Aliquat 336/catalyst for promoting the production of mixtures with high concentrations of FAMEs. The same experiments were repeated using DMSO as the solvent. The use of the more polar solvent resulted in excellent conversion of the triglycerides to FAME esters with all three-catalyst media. A simplified mechanism is presented to account for the experimental results.

Singlet oxygen formation from photoexcited P3HT:PCBM films applied in oxidation reactions

Poly(3-hexylthiophene) thin films containing carbon-based nanostructures, i.e. fullerenes such as Buckminsterfullerene (C60) or phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), or single-walled carbon nanotubes, were investigated as heterogeneous photosensitizers producing singlet oxygen...

GC-MS ANALYSIS PROFILE AND BIOACTIVE COMPONENTS OF FLOWERS OF Bergenia ciliata, A WEED OF ROCK CREVICES

Bergenia ciliata is a weed of hilly areas of Pakistan that generally grows in rock crevices. In the present study, flowers of this weeds were collected from Murree. The dried flowers were extracted in methanol and subjected to GC-MS analysis that showed 7 compounds in it. The predominant compound was hexanedioic acid, bis(2-ethylhexyl) ester (48.88%) followed by γ-sitosterol (22.56%). Moderately occurring compound was cyclohexane, 1,3,5-triphenyl- (12.87%). The remaining compounds namely n-hexadecanoic acid (4.97%), pentadecanoic acid, 14-methyl-, methyl ester (3.77%), 9,12-octadecadienoic acid, methyl ester, (Z,Z)- (2.94%) and 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, methyl ester, (Z,Z,Z)- (2.92%) were categorized as less abundant compounds. Literature survey indicated that these compounds possess antimicrobial, larvicidal, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and/or antidiabetic properties.

EKSTRAKSI BIJI OROK-OROK (CROTALARIA JUNCEA) SEBAGAI BAHAN BAKU PEMBUATAN BIODIESEL MENGGUNAKAN PELARUT N-HEKSAN

AbstrakTanaman orok-orok (crotalaria juncea) adalah tanaman leguminosa yang termasuk kedalam keluarga perdu dan semak. Biji orok-orok dapat digunakan sebagai obat insomnia dan sebagai bahan baku pembuatan biodiesel karena mengandung 12,6 % minyak dengan 46,8 % asam linoleate. 4,6 % asam linolenat, 28,3 % asam oleat dan 20,3 % asam jenuh. Untuk mendapatkan minyak dari biji orok-orok yang akan digunakan sebagai bahan baku biodiesel dapat dilakukan dengan metode ekstraksi padat-cair menggunakan pelarut N-Heksan. Pada penelitian ini bahan baku yang digunakan adalah biji orok-orok dan N-Heksan. Biji orok-orok dihaluskan menggunakan blender, kemudian dimasukkan dalam labu leher tiga untuk proses ekstraksi menggunakan pelarut N-Heksan. Ekstraksi dilakukan dengan memvariasikan suhu ekstraksi dan volume pelarut dengan waktu ekstraksi 5 jam dan bahan baku sebanyak 100 gr. Setelah selesai ekstraksi larutan disaring menggunakan kertas saring. Selanjutnya dilakukan pemisahan antara minyak dan pelarut dengan proses destilasi. Pengujian yang dilakukan adalah uji densitas, yield, kadar FFA, viscositas, densitas dan uji komposisi dengan alat GC-MS. Densitas terendah dihasilkan pada suhu 500C, berat sampel 100 gr, waktu ekstraksi 5 jam dan volume pelarut sebanyak 400 ml sebesar 1 g/ml. Yield tertinggi dihasilkan pada suhu 600C, berat sampel 100 gr, volume pelarut 700 ml dan waktu ekstraksi 5 jam sebesar 35,52 %. Kadar FFA terendah dihasilkan pada suhu 500C, berat sampel 100 gr, volume pelarut 500 ml dan waktu 5 jam sebesar 1,39 %. Viscositas hasil terbaik yang didapatkan adalah pada volume 700 ml dengan waktu ekstraksi 5 jam menggunakan pelarut N-Heksan pada suhu 600c sebesar 1 cp. Dari hasil uji GC-MS diketahui bahwa minyak biji orok-orok mengandung methyl ester of undecanoic acid, 2-methylpentanoic acid, myristic acid methyl ester, methyl linolelaidate, 2-cyclopentylacetohydrazide dan 2-methylpentanoic acid.