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Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) is a pharmaceutically significant aromatic crop with health benefits linked to its phytochemicals. This article aims to overview progress in using emerging technologies to extract its bioactive compounds and extraction mechanisms. Also, the trends in the applications of this herb in the food industry and its therapeutical effects were explained. Fenugreek's flavor is the primary reason for its applications in the food industry. At the same time, it has antimicrobial, antibacterial, hepatoprotection, anticancer, lactation, and antidiabetic effects. Phytochemicals responsible for these effects include galactomannans, saponins, alkaloids, and polyphenols. Besides, data showed that emerging technologies boost fenugreek extracts' yield and biological activity. Among these, ultrasound (55.6%) is the most studied technology, followed by microwave (37.0%), cold plasma (3.7%), and combined approaches (3.7%). Processing conditions (e.g., treatment time and intensity) and solvent (type, ratio, and concentration) are significant parameters that affect the performance of these novel extraction technologies. Extracts obtained by sustainable energy-saving emerging technologies can be used to develop value-added health-promoting products. HIGHLIGHTS: Fenugreek's phytochemicals (e.g., galactomannans and polyphenols) have therapeutic effects Ultrasound and microwave are major emerging technologies for fenugreek's bioactive compound extraction Emerging technologies enhance the yield and biological activities of fenugreek extracts Emerging extraction technologies can develop fenugreek-based products with health benefits [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coix seed is a nutrient-rich food and traditional Chinese medicine with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Polysaccharides from Coix seed have been rarely investigated for structure and activities. In this study, the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects were investigated in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that Coix seed had a significant influence on reducing the number of writhing, increasing the pain threshold and alleviating the swelling degree caused by acute inflammation. Column chromatography was used to obtain two active compounds of Coix seed. Compound 1 was (1→6)-α-glucan with a molecular weight of 6.81 × 105 Da. The chemical connection of compound 2 was as follows: α-Frup (2→ [1)-α-Glcp (6]5→1)-α-Glcp (4→1)-α-Glcp, which was isolated in Coix seed for the first time. LPS-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 cells was well inhibited by compounds. These findings offered a preliminary investigation into the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of Coix seed, which may be helpful for application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of galactomannan from the endosperm of ripe carob seeds (LBG.S3) was investigated through response surface methodology (RSM). The optimized UAE conditions were an extraction time of 40 minutes, a temperature of 45°C, and a solid-liquid ratio of 1:50 g/mL. Under these settings, the experimental yield of galactomannan was 47.53 ± 2.55%, which is closely aligning with the expected value of 49.78 ± 3.15%. The yield of galactomannan extracted from unripe carob seeds (LBG.S2) under the same optimal conditions was significantly higher 56.73 ± 2.76% (p < 0.05) than the yield of LBG.S3. The infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) characterization revealed the existence of various functional groups in the spectrum of galactomannan extracted from unripe seeds, not found in LBG.S3. The galactomannan from ripe carob seeds exhibited superior functional properties, including solubility, emulsion and stability capacity, water and oil holding capacity, and viscosity, compared to LBG.S2. In vitro, tests demonstrated notable anti-inflammatory activity for both LBG.S2 and LBG.S3, as observed through the inhibition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein denaturation by heat and the membrane stabilization test. Carob galactomannan is a potential source of bioactive polysaccharides with anti-inflammatory and functional properties that can be used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) are the prebiotic constituents with various functional qualities that promote the optimal proliferation of gut microbiota and are consequently beneficial to human health. GOS are not absorbed by humans and animals, but they play numerous health-related positive roles in the human body. Currently, their production has occupied much attention due to the increasing demand for functional foods. It could be produced by enzymatic and chemical approaches. Many microbial enzymes have been utilized for GOS production but the main source of these enzymes is lactose. Moreover, characterization of GOS structures is also a necessary and critical effort for understanding their mechanism of action. Hence, this review is written to understand the extensive but related features for the synthesis of GOS which includes: the enzymatic production of GOS through various enzymes and the types of enzymes such as free, immobilized, recombinant, crude, and purified enzymes that are involved in their synthesis, the techniques used in the purification of GOS, the analysis and quantification of GOS through various practices, and the functional properties of GOS are also discussed in this review. It also aims to combine new findings with current information in order to improve understanding of GOS formation and other factors related to its functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The population of the world is increasing rapidly, and it is challenging to fulfill the nutritional requirements of an overpopulated world. Therefore, it is necessary to identify underutilized food alternatives that are nutritious, have health-promoting properties, and are widely available. Seeds of mango, drumstick, and jamun are reported to have immense health promoting constituents. Despite this, they are largely discarded as waste due to lack of knowledge about their nutrient profile. Therefore, the present study aims at demonstrating the potential of nondestructive, rapid, and label free spectroscopic probes: attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, confocal micro Raman spectroscopy, and synchrotron radiation based X-ray fluorescence for determining the phytochemical and elemental profile of the mango, drumstick, and jamun seeds. The infrared and Raman spectra show that these seeds are rich sources of cell wall polysaccharides, amino acids, carbohydrates including glucose and starch, fatty acids, and antioxidants such as carotenoids and flavonoids. In addition, the X-ray fluorescence spectra show that these seeds are rich sources of calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, and manganese. The study highlights the potential of the nondestructive spectroscopic probes for the rapid, sensitive, cost effective and accurate assessment of nutrient profile of the seeds. The spectral information is highly beneficial for the administrators and nutrition scientists for assessment of diet quality, tackling malnutrition in an effective manner, and exploring use of these seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biopolymers are promising potential soil stabilizers due to their ease of application and stabilization efficacy. Biopolymers are biologically occurring polymers that form hydrogels when added to soil in the presence of water. Hydrogels are three-dimensional polymer networks formed through the interaction of polymer chains with soil particles and pore water. The chemical properties of the biopolymer and external factors (like temperature) affect the physical characteristics of the hydrogels formed. Cross-linking of biopolymer chains with another monomer or biopolymer enables the development of hydrogels with enhanced physical integrity and mechanical properties. Recent studies have shown that the biopolymers, guar and xanthan gums, improve the mechanical and durability properties of soil. As a galactomannan, guar gum naturally forms cross links with xanthan gum, and the study presented here evaluates the impact of this cross-linking on plasticity, shrinkage, strength and durability. Cross-linked specimens with higher guar gum have higher plasticity indices and linear shrinkage; however, when the amount of xanthan gum is increased, these values reduce. Strength tests suggest that cross-linking addresses some of the shortcomings of each biopolymer and improves the overall mechanical behaviour of the soil. The durability performance of cross-linked specimens was found to be comparable with specimens stabilized with individual biopolymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the causes of the differential behavior of extractives on the water resistance of the welded joints of three tropical woods. The welded joints of these chemically characterized woods were obtained by rotational dowel welding. The respective extractives contents obtained during the successive extractions were 12.98 ± 0.90% for Iroko, 17.36 ± 0.40% for African pearwood and 18.16 ± 1.00% for Padauk. Phytochemical screening revealed a high concentration of polyphenols in the extractives of Padauk and Iroko compared to African pearwood. The highest delamination rate (76.66%) was obtained with African pearwood. The highest tensile strength before (4.09 MPa) and after (1.94 MPa) the delamination test was obtained with Padauk. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis revealed non-leaching after 30 days in cold water of lignin and hemicelluloses fragments from Padauk at 536 Da and 698 Da, but just for hemicelluloses fragments as shown by a glucose pentamer at 837 Da, a glucomannan fragment, and of a glucose pentamer with a xylose residue attached at 970 Da that disappeared completely after 30 days of African pearwood water immersion. However, cold water immersion of Iroko appears to remove resveratrol at 250 Da, a stilbene, as well as multiprotonated stilbene at 256 Da while other stilbene class polyphenols such as geranyl trihydroxy stilbene at 364 Da and chlorophorin at 379 Da seem unaffected by water. SEM analysis confirmed perfect adhesion of Padauk and Iroko joints which indicates a strong correlation between the water resistance of the welded joint and the type of extractives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galactomannans are neutral hemicellulose biopolymers that strengthen the plant cell walls by interacting with cellulose in the form of storage polysaccharides. They are abundant in nature and are majorly present in the secondary walls of flowering plants. They are primarily extracted from the leguminous seed endosperms and display a wide variation at the structural and abundance level amongst different plant species. Over the last few decades, galactomannans have attracted huge attention due to their unique functional, solution and rheological properties, generally defined by their molar mass and the degree of substitution by galactosyl side chain, which differs between plants. Further, they are nontoxic, originate from renewable sources, fairly inexpensive, and are amenable to both chemical and biochemical modification. Moreover, excellent thickening, stabilizing and gelling abilities of these biopolymers have found extensive use in food, pharmaceutical, biomedical and cosmetic industries. Significant progress has been made to identify and characterize the genes responsible for biosynthesis of galactomannan along with the elucidation of controlling networks by using genetic, bioinformatics and biochemical approaches. This is the first comprehensive coverage on galactomannans which combines detailed structural and physicochemical properties as well as biology associated with the metabolism of galactomannans. It also focuses on different leguminous sources leading to various food and non-food applications of galactomannans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candida infections are the most prevalent cause of serious human mycoses and are the third most common pathogens isolated from bloodstream infections in hospitalized patients. C. parapsilosis is a member of the non-albicans spp., which have a predilection for causing life-threatening disease in neonates and hospitalized pediatric patients. In this study, we utilized a Drosophila melanogaster infection model to analyze the immunological responses to C. parapsilosis. Our results demonstrate that the Toll pathway in Drosophila controls C. parapsilosis proliferation as the Toll signaling mutant MyD88−/− flies are highly susceptible to C. parapsilosis. We also confirmed that the MyD88−/− fly is a convenient invertebrate animal model to analyze virulence properties of different species and strains from the C. parapsilosis sensu lato complex as C. orthopsilosis, C. metapsilosis proved to be less virulent than C. parapsilosis sensu stricto and the N-mannan deficient C. parapsilosis och1Δ/Δ strain showed attenuated pathogenicity in this immunodeficient Drosophila background. We also found that Persephone protease is not required for detection and activation of Toll pathway during C. parapsilosis infection. Furthermore, we observed that Drosophila β-glucan receptor deficient flies where more sensitive to C. parapsilosis compared to wild-type flies; however, we could not find a clear dependence on the recognition of this receptor and the cell wall β-glucan exposure-induced host response. These studies establish this D. melanogaster infection model as an efficient tool in deciphering immune responses to C. parapsilosis as well as for assessing virulence factors produced by this emerging fungal predator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galactomannans can be extracted from various plant species, including those of the Cassia grandis Linn. f. (Fam. Caesalpiniaceae), a native Brazilian tree. The objective of this work was to obtain galactomannans by three different extraction methods and to characterize them owing to structure and rheological behavior in aqueous saline fluids that are typically applied for enhanced oil recovery. The largest yield obtained was 23.4 wt% and the mannose/galactose ratios were between 1.1 and 1.5. All the gums extracted were characterized by Proton nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Elementary Analysis (CHN) and X-Ray Diffraction demonstrating their galactomannan structures. Thermogravimetric analyses allowed determining the real concentration of organic matter present in the final extraction product, which was near 70 wt%. The greatest molar mass of the Cassia gum was Mw = 1.01 × 106 g/mol, determined by Size-exclusion chromatography and since it is a nonionic biopolymer, it was not influenced by the salinity of the prepared synthetic aqueous solutions with high salt concentrations (TDS = 29,711 mg/L and 68,317 mg/L), including the solutions containing divalent cations. Under a shear rate of 7.3 s−1, Cassia gum from method A showed the highest apparent viscosity values that were approximately 158, 78 and 55 mPa s, at concentration of 5,000 ppm and temperatures of 25, 60 and 80 °C, respectively. Thus, Cassia gum stood as a promising biopolymer for enhanced oil recovery application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mannanases catalyze the cleavage of β-1,4-mannosidic linkages in mannans and have various applications in different biotechnological industries. In this study, a new β-mannanase from Verrucomicrobiae DG1235 (ManDG1235) was biochemically characterized and its enzymatic properties were revealed. Amino acid alignment indicated that ManDG1235 belonged to glycoside hydrolase family 26 and shared a low amino acid sequence identity to reported β-mannanases (up to 50% for CjMan26C from Cellvibrio japonicus). ManDG1235 was expressed in Escherichia coli. Purified ManDG1235 (rManDG1235) exhibited the typical properties of cold-active enzymes, including high activity at low temperature (optimal at 20 °C) and thermal instability. The maximum activity of rManDG1235 was achieved at pH 8, suggesting that it is a mildly alkaline β-mannanase. rManDG1235 was able to hydrolyze a variety of mannan substrates and was active toward certain types of glucans. A structural model that was built by homology modeling suggested that ManDG1235 had four mannose-binding subsites which were symmetrically arranged in the active-site cleft. A long loop linking β2 and α2 as in CjMan26C creates a steric border in the glycone region of active-site cleft which probably leads to the exo-acting feature of ManDG1235, for specifically cleaving mannobiose from the non-reducing end of the substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extraction of high quality bio-oil from waste date seeds would convert these waste seeds to valuable product as well as avoid the hazardous effects associated with date seeds landfilling. The present work provides a systematic study on extracting date seed bio-oil and optimizing the conditions for oil extraction. Effect of various extraction parameters such as grain size, drying method, solvent type and feed to solvent ratio was studied on the oil yield obtained from Sukkary type waste date seeds. N-hexane and chloroform were found to be the most effective solvents for oil extraction and the feed grain size of <200 microns gave the highest oil yield for all methods of drying. For fixed feed to solvent ratio, oven drying at 70 °C produced better oil yield of 9.11% as compared with other drying methods. For feed to solvent ratio, the 1:40 loading recorded a better yield of 8.54% as compared to 7.84% yield obtained for 1:20 loading. Qualitative analysis of as-produced bio-oil using FTIR showed the standard equivalence of date seed bio-oil to that of food grade olive oil. Fatty acid compositions of the date seed derived bio-oil were determined through GC-FID analysis and the results showed commendable bio-oil quality compared to reports of other works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the work, a large number of polysaccharide-based functional groups have been introduced into hydroxyapatite (HAP) by one-step synthesis to obtain HAP materials with high drug-loading properties. HAP materials have attracted much attention in various biomedical fields due to their excellent biocompatibility. Natural polysaccharides are long-chain polymer compounds with abundant hydrophilic groups. They are widely used in biomedical materials because of their nontoxicity, biocompatibility and biodegradability. In this study, HAP materials containing more than 20% of organic matter have been successfully synthesized by using Ca(NO3)2·4H2O and NH4H2PO4 as raw materials based on two natural polysaccharide gums (tamarind seed polysaccharide gum and guar gum (GG)). The results of X-ray diffractometer, thermogravimetric analyzer, Fourier transformed infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) show that the functional groups of galactomannan gum have been successfully introduced into the HAP materials with the maximum mass content of 23%. The cytotoxicity tests of HAP materials show that the cell viability is constantly higher than 95%, indicating that functionalized HAP materials have good biocompatibility. HAP material modified by GG has a high drug-loading capacity of 236.18 mg g−1 and a drug loading efficiency of up to 74.79%. The obtained materials also have a pH-responsive release property, and the targeted drug-releasing rate is about 25% in vitro environment of pH 7.4 and 5.0. The results indicate that HAP materials functionalized by GG have a potential application in targeted drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential applications of β-mannanase in bioenergy, biorefinery, detergent, fodder, food processing, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper and textile industries, and the high cost of commercially available enzyme have attracted considerable research efforts to identify potent microbial strains for cost-effective production of this enzyme. The advantage of microbial biocatalyst is that the crude enzyme can be used directly in bioprocessing instead of the purified enzyme. In this study, β-mannanase was extracted from a novel Streptomyces sp. Alg-S25 (GenBank accession no. MK494177) and immobilized onto chitosan nanoparticles using glutaraldehyde as a crosslinker. The covalent binding of β-mannanase onto chitosan nanoparticles was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The functionalized chitosan nanoparticles retained 83.6% ± 3.46% of β-mannanase activity. Free and immobilized β-mannanase of this novel Streptomyces sp. Alg-S25 displayed maximal activities at pH 7.5 and at temperature 50 °C and 55 °C, respectively. Immobilized β-mannanase exhibited higher values of activation energy (47.4 kJ/mol), enthalpy (44.9 kJ/mol) and entropy (–73.5 J/mol/K) of catalysis compared to the free enzyme. The substrate-specific kinetic analysis suggested that the immobilized β-mannanase had a strong affinity toward locust bean galactomannan by showing a low Km (4.94 mg/mL) and a high Vmax (93.5 U/mg-protein) values. Furthermore, the immobilized β-mannanase was not affected by 2% NaCl and retained 81.2% of the maximal activity after 10 cycles of successive reuse. These results indicate the potential of chitosan nanoparticle-immobilized β-mannanase for sustainable and cost-effective bioprocessing of mannan-containing agricultural, forest, seaweed and industrial wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present experiment investigated the effects of galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) on growth performance, faecal microbiota, immune response and antioxidant capability in weaned piglets. Ninety 28-day-old weaned piglets were randomly allocated into 5 treatments with 6 replicate pens per treatment and 3 piglets per pen (n = 18). These five diets were formulated by adding 0, 500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 mg/kg GOS to the basal diet, respectively. The experiment was lasted for 28 days. Body weight and feed intake were determined. Faeces samples were collected to detect the amount of microbiota. Blood samples were used to determine antioxidative and immune parameters. The results indicated that GOS supplementation improved the growth performance, increased the number of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria and decreased the number of Escherichia coli in a linear or quadratic dose-dependent manner. Dietary GOS decreased serum concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines in a quadratic dose-dependent manner, but increased anti-inflammatory cytokines in a linear or quadratic dose-dependent manner. Moreover, GOS supplementation promoted the activities of antioxidant enzyme in a linear or quadratic dose-dependent manner during the experiment. The levels of MDA quadratically decreased on d 28. These results suggested that GOS exhibited positive effects on growth performance, immune function and antioxidant capability in weaned piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galactomannans based biopolymers are common constituents of ungerminated seeds of numerous leguminous plants present in endosperm of seeds. They are highly valuable in industries due to their ability to modify the flow behavior of aqueous solutions viz. thicken, suspend, gel, stabilize, swell and film formation. Consequently, they have diverse applications in food and non-food due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, sustainability and abundance. Cassia occidentalis, an annual weed occurring throughout India is a rich source of seed galactomannans (∼30% endosperm). The gum derived from seed endosperm can be potentially utilized in a number of industries to replace the conventional expensive gums. However, the extracted gum has considerable disadvantages such as uncontrolled hydration, changes in viscosity during storage, pH-dependent solubility, lower shelf life etc, thereby, limiting their vast industrial applications. Intriguingly, these limitations can be overcome by functionalization of hydroxyl groups. Therefore, grafting onto C. occidentalis seed gum was carried out with acrylonitrile in presence of ceric ammonium nitrate under inert atmosphere. The reaction conditions were optimized by varying concentration of CAN, nitric acid, acrylonitrile, reaction temperature and time. The grafted gum was characterized using FTIR, TGA, DTG, X-Ray and SEM analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Box-Behnken Design was used to optimize the ultrasonic extraction of polysaccharides from quince peels (QPPs) by ascorbic acid and the effect of extraction temperature, extraction time and pH was evaluated. Under optimized conditions of temperature 90 °C, 60 min sonication time and pH = 3.26, the extraction yield, the galacturonic acid yield and the concentration of sample required to scavenge 50% of 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic) acid (ABTS) values of QPPs were respectively 10.25%, 3.86% and 1.35 mg/mL. The QPPs extracted under optimum conditions was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Nuclear magnetic resonance (1 H NMR) and Size exclusion chromatography (SEC/MALS/VD/DRI). The monosaccharide analysis revealed that arabinose was the most abundant, followed by galactose, glucose, mannose and xylose. Moreover, QPPs showed significant antioxidant activities (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Ferric- reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)) and reduced viability of human Caco-2 and murine B-16 cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. Hence QPPs could be used as antitumor agent in functional foods andpharmaceutical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galactomannans are a widely used polysaccharide. In this study, galactomannans were oxidized using galactose oxidase, aided by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and catalase. Then, a small amount of hydrogen peroxide was used to oxidize the reaction products in order to prepare the paper strengthening agents. The optimal oxidation conditions were investigated according to the properties of the paper, which included the galactose oxidase dosages and concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. It was determined that, when the enzyme dosage was 50 U/g and the hydrogen peroxide concentration was 0.4%, the properties of the paper could be evidently improved with a lower hydrogen peroxide addition. When 1.5% oxidized galactomannans were used, the tensile index and folding endurance were found to have been increased by 23.50% and 110.31%, respectively, when compared with the control. In regard to the recycled paper, the increases were observed to have reached 22.19% and 175%, respectively. The results of the molecular weight, FT-IR, and CP/MAS13C-NMR indicated that a percentage aldehyde and carboxyl groups had been added to the galactomannans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well diffusion method was used to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Eucalyptus camaldulensis, while the antifungal effect was assessed by calculating the reduction percent in the radial growth of mycelia. The inhibition zones exerted by E. camaldulensis crude extracts varied significantly (p ≤ 0.01). The capsule crude extract (acetone 30%) highly inhibited the growth of Acinetobacter baumannii (35 mm clear zone). The highest antifungal activity was against Rhizopus stolonifer with a reduction percent in its radial growth reached to 96%. The bacterial MICs ranged from 20 to 0.5 mg/mL against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis respectively. The MIC values for fungi were between 18 mg/mL (Mucor sp.) and 4 mg/mL (R. stolonifer). Both type and concentration of the solvent greatly affected the antimicrobial potentials of E. camaldulensis. The empty capsule and bud of E. camaldulensis are recognized for the first time as potentially natural resources of effective antimicrobial agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A galactoglucan (HCPA) was extracted from C. mollissima Blume fruits using hot water, which was composed of glucose and galactose, with a molecular weight of 5.5 kDa. Methylation and 1 D, 2 D NMR spectroscopy analysis showed that HCPA contained [→4)-α-D-Glcp(1→], [→4,6)-α-D-Glcp(1→], [→4)-β-D-Galp(1→] and [α-D-Glcp(1→] motifs in a molar ratio of approximately 6.11:1.08:1.00:1.03. HCPA showed a spherical-like structure as detected by scanning electron microscope (SEM). HCPA biological activity was investigated in vitro. The results showed that HCPA inhibited the proliferation of HeLa, MCF-7 and MGC-803 cells, induced HeLa cells apoptosis and arrested cell cycle in G2/M phase of HeLa cells. HCPA also enhanced the viability and phagocytic ability of RAW 264.7 cells and stimulated the production of NO, TNF-α and IL-6. The results demonstrated that HCPA had a potent antitumor and immunomodulating effects in vitro, suggesting its potential use as functional food and drug products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study concerns the methodology for the successful synthesis of galactomannan/ZnO (GM/ZnO) nanocomposite using an in situ chemical co-precipitation route utilizing galactomannan as a nanoreactor. The galactomannan was isolated using a hydrothermal extraction from mezquite (Prosopis spp.) seeds, in which the tree represents a valuable resource for the habitants of arid and semiarid zones of Mexico. The GM/ZnO was synthesized at room temperature. The effects of changing the galactomannan concentration in the nanocomposite over the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were investigated by microdilution broth method. The GM/ZnO with greatest antibacterial activity was the one with the lowest amount of galactomannan and it was characterized. The ZnO nanoparticles that were observed by SEM and TEM, showed the formation of ZnO nanoparticles, with flake/petal shape and wurtzite structure. The synthesis of nanocomposite was confirmed by FTIR, with strong interactions between the primary alcohol of the galactomannan and ZnO. The thermal stability and decomposition was determined by TGA and DSC, finding a greater thermal stability and an increase of the degradation temperature. A mechanism for the synthesis of GM/ZnO, as well as the formation model of the ZnO with the assistance of the galactomannan are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the wettability of basic commercial polysaccharides: starches (potato PS, wheat WS, corn CS, tapioca TS, kuzu KS) and galactomannans (fenugreek gum FG, guar gum GG, tara gum TG, locust bean gum LBG). The study was conducted using the Washburn capillary rise method and thermal drying. This allowed one to determine the material constant C, contact angle θ, surface free energy of solid SFE, and initial moisture content M. The measured values of contact angle θ and surface free energy SFE indicated that potato starch (70.9°, 41.1 mN · m−1) and wheat starch (88.4°, 30.2 mN · m−1) were characterized by the highest and lowest wettability among the examined starches, respectively. In turn, the galactomannans were poorly wettable substances. Their contact angles θ were approximately equal to 90°, showing a slight increase with increasing substitution degree. The observed decrease in surface free energy SFE from 30 to 29.6 mN · m−1 indicated a very minor hydrophobization of their surfaces. Material constant C was practically independent of temperature, and an increase in initial moisture content M in the examined starches and galactomannans proceeded according to the following schemes: CS < PS < WS < TS < KS and LBG < TG < GG < FG, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the optimization of extraction of polysaccharides from Citrullus colocynthis curd polysaccharides (CCPs) is investigated by using the analysis of variance. For this aim, a chemical extraction method has been developed in order to be able to isolate CCPs at high level of purity. The extraction was performed by using boiling water at different extraction times (30, 60 and 120 min), extraction temperatures (50, 75 and 100°C), and a material ratio (30, 60 and 100 g/ml), for maximum polysaccharide extraction. The 3-D response surface plot and the contour plot derived from the mathematical models are used to determine the optimal conditions. The optimum extraction conditions are as follows: extraction temperature 100°C, extraction time 120 min and the ratio of water 30 ml/g. Under these conditions, the experimental final mass is 210.6 mg which is very close to the predicted value (209.46 mg) with a regression coefficient of 94.01%. In addition, the existence of the polysaccharide has been confirmed by the characterization of the galactomannan obtained from C. colocynthisis obtained by Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflection, IR-Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, eight paper strengthening agents were obtained by the esterification of galactomannan with trimesic acid or butanetetracarboxylic acid. The esterified galactomannan was studied using a 13C NMR spectrum, Frontier transform infrared spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. Then, the properties of the paper with esterified galactomannan were also investigated. The results of the 13C NMR spectrum and infrared spectroscopic analysis showed that the galactomannan had been successfully esterified with the trimesic acid or butanetetracarboxylic acid. The paper properties with 1% esterified galactomannan were found to be efficiently improved, when compared with the control sample. The polyacid dosages were also found to affect the paper properties. The SEM analysis showed that the esterified galactomannan could effectively increase the inter-fiber bonding in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study that determines the presence of galactomannan (GM) in the generic piperacillin-tazobactam (PTZ). It offers details of the method of the study and the samples that were observed. It outlines the result which indicates the GM content detected in generic PTZ that were marketed in Europe and makes it necessary to consider results of the GM-EIA.

Background: The clinical utility of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid galactomannan (GM) for the early diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA) varies widely across studies mainly due to heterogeneity of the studied populations. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 studies involving 783 adults with hematological malignancies to derive summary estimates of the overall accuracy of BAL-GM for diagnosing IA. Findings: Summary estimates of BAL-GM using an optical density (OD) index cutoff value of 1.5 for proven and probable IA were: sensitivity 0.92 (95% CI = 0.48-0.99), specificity 0.98 (95% CI = 0.78-1.00), positive likelihood ratio 53.7 (95% CI = 3.7-771.8), and negative likelihood ratio 0.08 (95% CI = 0.01-0.83). Comparing serum GM and Aspergillus PCR testing on BAL fluid, BAL-GM conferred greater sensitivity, but lower specificity than the serum GM test, and similar specificity as the PCR assay. The use of BAL-GM with serum GM or BAL-PCR tests increased the sensitivity moderately when a positive result was defined by either assay. Interpretation: GM quantification in BAL fluid at an OD index cutoff value of 1.5 has excellent sensitivity and specificity to assist clinical decision-making in confirming or excluding a diagnosis of IA when results are interpreted with clinical findings. Additional research investigating the effects of antifungal agents, optimal timing and processing of BAL sampling are needed to improve the diagnostic accuracy of BAL-GM testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water-soluble fractions of mucilages and gum from the seeds of fenugreek, isphagula and mango bark exudate were isolated, purified and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), maldi/GC-MS, elemental analysis, 1D (1H and 13C) and 2D (HMQC, COSY) nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The fenugreek mucilage was identified to be a galactomannan chain consisting of 4 units of galactose attached to the backbone of 6 mannose units in 1:1.5 ratio. The isphagula mucilage was identified to be an arabinoxylan polysaccharide chain consisting of 4 units of arabinofuranose attached to the backbone of 9 xylopyrannose units in 1:3 ratio. The mango gum showed the presence of amylose, α-arabinofuranosyl and β-galactopyranosyl, respectively. The characterized mucilages and gum were individually formulated into nanoparticulate system using their complementarily charged polymer chitosan. The particles were observed to be spherical in shape in the range of 61.5-90 nm having zetapotential between 31 and 34 mV and PDI of 0.097-0.241. The prepared nanoparticles were observed to be nonirritant and nontoxic in vitro and in vivo upto 2000 μg/ml. Therefore, these mucilages and gum can be the alternatives of anionic polymers for the ocular drug delivery system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-α-galactoside antibody (anti-Gal) from human plasma that bound to α-galactoside-bearing guar galactomannan gel and was eluted with specific sugar (affinity-purified anti-Gal ; APAG) invariably contained apo(a) and apo B subunits in a proportion close to that in plasma lipoprotein(a) [ Lp(a)]. Since LDL does not contain apo(a), result suggested Lp(a) as a component of APAG. Lp(a) in APAG was complexed with anti-Gal since plate-coated anti-apo(a) captured Lp(a) along with the antibody. Association of Lp(a) with anti-Gal in APAG was considerably lower in presence of anti-Gal-specific sugar, suggesting that Lp(a) occupied the sugar-binding site of anti-Gal. Content of Lp(a)-bound anti-Gal in APAG, though a minor fraction of total antibody, increased steadily with total Lp(a) content of plasma. Further, Lp(a) released from immune complex-rich fraction of plasma by anti-Gal- specific sugar was proportional to total plasma Lp(a). Anti-Gal titre decreased with increasing Lp(a) concentration among 114 plasma samples. Results indicate the potential of anti-Gal molecules with its binding site partially occupied by Lp(a) molecule(s) to a) use the remaining binding site(s) to recognize other macromolecules or cells and b) transport Lp(a) across Fc receptor-bearing cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, highly purified galactomannan containing fenugreek gum was isolated by newly reported method and investigated for its surface and emulsification property. Comparative studies were carried out with other galactomannan containing natural emulsifiers like locust bean gum, guar gum, and non-galactomannan anionic xanthan gum. The results revealed that highly purified fenugreek gum has better surface and interfacial tension reducing property among all gums used in this study. Emulsion prepared with 0.6% highly purified fenugreek gum showed greater reduction in droplets size with greater surface area compared to guar gum, locust bean gum, and xanthan gum emulsion. Zeta potential values indicated that highly purified fenugreek gum emulsion showed greater repulsive forces and was able to form more stable emulsion compared to other gums. No coalescence or phase separation was observed during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In search of substances replacing antibiotics as growth promoters for farm animals, non-digestible oligosaccharides (NDO) or non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) have been proposed as possible alternatives. In this context, the influence of galactomannans on bacteriological and morphological aspects of the gastrointestinal tract in weanling pigs was investigated. Four groups of five newly weaned piglets received one of the following diets: control feed (C), C supplemented with guar gum (1%), C supplemented with locust bean gum (1%) and C supplemented with 10% of carob tree seeds meal as source of locust bean gum. The animals were euthanized after 11 – 12 days and digesta were sampled in stomach, jejunum (proximal and distal) and caecum, while mucosal scrapings and ring shaped tissue samples were taken of proximal and distal jejunum. On these samples bacteriological, biochemical and morphological determinations were carried out. Total count of bacteria in digesta and mucosal scrapings was not influenced by the different diets, with the exception of the proximal jejunum where a small decrease (0.5 log10 CFU) was noted with the guar gum and carob tree seeds diet. The number of E. coli increased by feeding both gums and carob tree seeds. With the latter diet, higher counts of streptococci were observed. In agreement with the lower concentration of lactic acid in jejunal contents, guar gum decreased the number of lactobacilli. Locust bean gum decreased the molar proportion of acetate in caecal contents while butyrate and valerate were augmented. Feeding the carob tree seeds resulted in shorter villi and a lower villus height/crypt depth ratio in the jejunum mucosa, which was an indication for a faster renewal rate of the epithelium. Both locust bean gum feeds significantly lowered the mitotic index in the crypts of the small intestine. Only with the carob tree seeds diet, viscosity of jejunal contents was increased. In conclusion, the effects of the addition of 1% of pure guar gum or locust bean gum were inconsistent and not very outspoken, whereas 10% of carob tree seeds meal in the diet resulted in influences on intestinal characteristics at the bacteriological and morphological level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]