Optimization of Lipase-Catalyzed Transesterification of Cotton Seed Oil for Biodiesel Production Using Response Surface Methodology

The aim of this work was to study the biodiesel production from cotton seed oil by lipase produced by Pichia guilliermondii lipase, which was immobilized onto hydrophobic magnetic particles (HMPs). The optimum reaction conditions were determined for lipase dosage, methanol-to-oil molar ratio, temperature and water content. Using response surface methodology, a quadratic polynomial equation was obtained for fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) content by multiple regression analysis. Verification experiments confirmed the validity of the predicted model. The optimal conditions for the enzymatic transesterification were temperature of 38.76℃, 31.3% immobilized lipase, 10.4% water content, and a methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 4.715:1. The gas chromatography- mass spectrometry showed that biodiesel was mainly composed of the methyl esters of hexadecanoic, 9,12-octadecadienoic and 9-octadecadienoic acid.

Effect of nitrogen limitation on cell growth, lipid accumulation and gene expression in Chlorella sorokiniana

The influence of nitrogen (N) limitation on the cell growth, chlorophyll content, intracellular lipid production and expression levels of two pathway genes in Chlorella sorokiniana was investigated in mixotrophic culture in this study. The maximum biomass concentration of C. sorokiniana cultured in modified BG11 medium containing 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 mM N were 1.60, 2.21, 2.74, 3.18 and 3.21 g/L of dry cell weight, respectively with maximum specific growth rate of 0.180, 0.198, 0.201, 0.203, 0.206 day−1 during culture with an initial N feed of 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 mM in the first eight days, respectively. The maximum lipid content was 51 % with 3 mM N. However, the maximum lipid productivity of 0.00884 g L−1 day−1 was achieved with 6 mM N. Expression levels of accD (heteromeric acetyl-CoA carboxylase beta subunit) and accI (homomeric acetyl-CoA carboxylase) genes in C. sorokiniana were studied by real-time PCR. Increased expression levels of accD reflected the increased lipid content in stationary phase. In contrast, expression of the acc1 gene always remained low, showing that the gene might not be critical for lipid accumulation.

Influence of Kudou Shencha decotion on INF-gamma, ICAM-1, MCP-1 levels of prostate tissue homogenate in immunity prostatitis model rats / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the influence of Kudou Shencha decotion on INF-y, ICAM-1, MCP-1 levels of prostate tissue homogenate in immunity prostatitis model rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Forty Wistar male rats were divided into 5 groups randomly: Kudou Shencha decotion group with high dosage and low dosage, Qianleitai group, the model control group and normal group. The rat model of chronic nonbacterial prostatitis was established by multiple hypodermical injection of the suspension of prostatic protein purification with Freund's completed adjuvant. The level of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1), interferon gamma (INF-gamma) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The content of ICAM-1 and MCP-1 in the model group was higher than that of the normal group (P < 0.05), the content of ICAM-1 was obviously decreased in Kudou Shencha decotion group with high dosage (P <0.05), the contents of MCP-1 were all obviously decreased in Kudou Shencha decotion groups and Qianlietai group. Compared with the model group, the contents of INF-gamma in all treatment groups were decreased insignificantly.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Kudou Shencha decotion has the action of lowering the level of ICAM-1 and MCP-1, which may be one of the mechanisms of Kudou Shencha decotion in the therapy of chronic prostatitis.</p>

Triterpenoid saponins of Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb / 药学学报

In order to find the anti-virus constituents of Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb, the investigation was carried out. The paper reported the five triterpenoid saponins isolated from n-BuOH fraction: 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->3)-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-oleanolic acid]-28-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside (1), oleanolic acid-3-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside (calenduloside E, 2), oleanolic acid-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-28-Obeta-D-glucopyranosyl ester (chikusetsusaponin-IVa, 3), 3-O-(6'-O-butyl-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl)-oleanolic acid-28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester (4) and hederagenin-3-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside (HN-sapoins K, 5). 1 is a new compound, saponins 4 and 5 were isolated from the plant for the first time.

Therapeutic effect of hewei xiaopi capsule for treatment of dyskinesis functional dyspepsia / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of Hewei Xiaopi Capsule (HXC) in treating patients with dyskinesis functional dyspepsia (FD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-three patients with FD were randomly assigned to two groups, 33 in the treated group and 30 in the control group, who were treated respectively with HXC and domperidone for 4 weeks to observe the clinical effect and changes in electrogastrogram (EGG) before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Symptoms were alleviated in both groups after treatment, 3 patients in the treated group were cured, the efficacy was judged as markedly effective in 11, effective in 14 and ineffective in 5, while in the control group, 1 cured, 8 markedly effective, 14 effective and 7 ineffective, difference between the two groups showed no statistical significance. EGG showed that in the treated group, the normal slow-wave percentage was 41.93 +/- 18.22 before treatment and 50.86 +/- 16.03 after treatment, showing significant difference (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HXC is markedly effective in treating patients with FD.</p>