Search Results (8)

Adequate birth weight is essential for animal survival and subsequent growth. However, the mechanism by which placental DNA methylation influences fetal growth remains incompletely understood. This study employed whole-genome bi-sulfite sequencing (WGBS) and RNA sequencing to analyze placental tissues from two weak piglets and two normal piglets born to the same sow. Transcriptome analysis identified 1989 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) enriched in blood/immune processes. Additionally, differentially methylated regions linked to DEG repression were enriched in extracellular matrix (ECM) receptors and angiogenesis pathways. To investigate the role of DNA methylation in gene regulation, porcine trophoblast cells (PTr2) were treated with either DMSO (control) or the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-Aza). Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis demonstrated significant upregulation of PACC1, SLC7A1, and PKP1 gene expression in the 5-Aza-treated group compared to controls (p < 0.05). Furthermore, methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR) assays confirmed that the transcriptional activity of these genes is directly modulated by DNA methylation. These findings suggest that the dynamic regulation of DNA methylation in gene promoters may influence variations in placental morphology and birth weight in piglets, offering new insights into epigenetic regulation of fetal development, though larger studies are needed for validation. Full article

Oak bark is a by-product known for its richness in polyphenols, with tanning substances being particularly interesting for their application in different fields. Vegetable tannins are mostly utilized in the leather sector, but are also widely used as adhesives, in cement plasticizers and for medical and agrochemical applications owing to their natural antimicrobial activity. This study aimed to develop a green and efficient pilot-scale technique for extracting polyphenols from oak bark by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) using a modified Dual-Frequency Reactor (DFR). Different parameters, such as extraction time, temperature, and solvent type (water, sodium hydroxide or sodium sulfite and bisulfite solutions) were investigated for their influence on the total phenolic content (TPC) and the quantity of dry extract. Control experiments by conventional methods were also performed. UAE at 50 °C yielded the highest TPC and dry extract (confirmed by ANOVA analysis, p < 0.05) in just 10 min, suggesting that UAE can be considered an energy- and cost-effective alternative to conventional techniques. The most suitable solvent was found to be a 0.5% sodium hydroxide solution. The molecular profile of the extracts was assessed by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy, revealing typical signals of tannins in all extracts. Furthermore, antimicrobial activity tests demonstrated the complete absence of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in the extracts, ensuring the suitability of the product for different kinds of application. Full article

Currently, little is known about the characteristics of polyphenol oxidase from wheat bran, which is closely linked to the browning of wheat product. The wheat PPO was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-Sepharose ion-exchange column, and Superdex G-75 chromatography column. Purified wheat PPO activity was 11.05-fold higher, its specific activity was 1365.12 U/mg, and its yield was 8.46%. SDS-PAGE showed that the molecular weight of wheat PPO was approximately 21 kDa. Its optimal pH and temperature were 6.5 and 35 °C for catechol as substrate, respectively. Twelve phenolic substrates from wheat and green tea were used for analyzing the substrate specificity. Wheat PPO showed the highest affinity to catechol due to its maximum V_max (517.55 U·mL⁻¹·min⁻¹) and low K_m (6.36 mM) values. Docking analysis revealed strong affinities between catechol, gallic acid, EGCG, and EC with binding energies of −5.28 kcal/mol, −4.65 kcal/mol, −4.21 kcal/mol, and −5.62 kcal/mol, respectively, for PPO. Sodium sulfite, ascorbic acid, and sodium bisulfite dramatically inhibited wheat PPO activity. Cu²⁺ and Ca²⁺ at 10 mM were considered potent activators and inhibitors for wheat PPO, respectively. This report provides a theoretical basis for controlling the enzymatic browning of wheat products fortified with green tea. Full article

The study of new materials for radiation dosimetry is important to improve the present state of the art and to help in cases of accidents for retrospective dosimetry. Sulfites are compounds that contain a sulfur ion, widely used in the food industry. Due to the significant application of these compounds, sulfites are interesting candidates for accidental dosimetry, as fortuitous radiation detectors. The presence of the SO₃⁻ anion enables its detection by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. The Dose–Response behavior, signal stability and other spectral features were investigated for sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, sodium metabisulfite and potassium metabisulfite, all in crystalline forms. The ESR spectrum of salts presented stability and proportional response with dose, presenting potential for dosimetry applications. Full article

More than 60 years have passed since UCLA first announced the development of an innovative asymmetric cellulose acetate reverse osmosis (RO) membrane in 1960. This innovation opened a gate to use RO for commercial use. RO is now ubiquitous in water treatment and has been used for various applications, including seawater desalination, municipal water treatment, wastewater reuse, ultra-pure water (UPW) production, and industrial process waters, etc. RO is a highly integrated system consisting of a series of unit processes: (1) intake system, (2) pretreatment, (3) RO system, (4) post-treatment, and (5) effluent treatment and discharge system. In each step, a variety of chemicals are used. Among those, sulfites (sodium bisulfite and sodium metabisulfite) have played significant roles in RO, such as dechlorination, preservatives, shock treatment, and sanitization, etc. Sulfites especially became necessary as dechlorinating agents because polyamide hollow-fiber and aromatic thin-film composite RO membranes developed in the late 1960s and 1970s were less tolerable with residual chlorine. In this review, key applications of sulfites are explained in detail. Furthermore, as it is reported that sulfites have some adverse effects on RO membranes and processes, such phenomena will be clarified. In particular, the following two are significant concerns using sulfites: RO membrane oxidation catalyzed by heavy metals and a trigger of biofouling. This review sheds light on the mechanism of membrane oxidation and triggering biofouling by sulfites. Some countermeasures are also introduced to alleviate such problems. Full article

A novel 1-hydroxy-2,4-diformylnaphthalene-based fluorescent probe L was synthesized by a Knoevenagel reaction and exhibited excellent sensitivity and selectivity towards sulfite ions (SO₃²⁻) and bisulfite ions (HSO₃⁻). The detection limits of the probe L were 0.24 μM using UV-Vis spectroscopy and 9.93 nM using fluorescence spectroscopy, respectively. Furthermore, the fluorescent probe L could be utilized for detection in real water samples with satisfactory recoveries in the range 99.20%~104.30% in lake water and 100.00%~104.80% in tap water by UV-Vis absorption spectrometry, and in the range 100.50%~108.60% in lake water and 102.70%~103.80% in tap water by fluorescence spectrophotometry. Full article

The effect of different acid sulfite pretreatment conditions on released components in the hydrolysates and the pretreated solid residues’ response to enzymatic hydrolysis for Eucalyptus globulus chips was investigated. Sodium bisulfite (0–15%), and sulfuric acid (0–5%) were used to pretreat chips at 170 °C and 190 °C, for as long as 30 min. The hydrolysates were analyzed through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and spectrophotometry. Overall porosity and pores larger than 2.65 nm (size of a typical cellulase) on the solid residues were estimated using glucose and two dextrans with different hydrodynamic radii as probes. The external specific surface area was analyzed by dynamic light scattering. The solid residues underwent enzymatic hydrolysis with an enzymatic cocktail. Very high (84–95%) carbohydrate conversion was achieved for either an extensively delignified biomass or a biomass with very high content of sulfonated residual lignin (23.4%), since internal porosity enables enzymes accessibility. At least 5% sodium bisulfite and 1% sulfuric acid was required to attain a carbohydrate release above 90% in the enzymatic hydrolysis. Results suggest that the presence of sulfonated lignin does not impair the enzymatic hydrolysis rate and extent. The increase of pretreatment temperature had a positive effect mainly on the initial rate of carbohydrates release in the enzymatic hydrolysis. The increase of the wood material dimensions from pins to conventional chips significantly decreased the hemicellulose removal in acid sulfite pretreatment but had a small effect on the enzymatic yield. Full article

It is of interest to use UV-sulfite based processes to degrade pollutants in wastewater treatment process. In this work, arsenic (As(III)) has been selected as a target pollutant to verify the efficacy of such a hypothesized process. The results showed that As(III) was quickly oxidized by a UV-sulfite system at neutral or alkaline pH and especially at pH 9.5, which can be mainly attributed to the generated oxysulfur radicals. In laser flash photolysis (LFP) experiments (λ_ex = 266 nm), the signals of SO₃^•− and e_aq⁻ generated by photolysis of sulfite at 266 nm were discerned. Quantum yields for photoionization of HSO₃⁻ (0.01) and SO₃²⁻ (0.06) were also measured. It has been established that e_aq⁻ does not react with SO₃²⁻, but reacts with HSO₃⁻ with a rate constant 8 × 10⁷ M⁻¹s⁻¹. Full article