Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Biological Responses Of Vitamin K2: A Comprehensive Review, Quanxiang Yan, Tao Zhang, Christine O'Connor, James W. Barlow, John Walsh, Gaia Scalabrino, Feng Xu, Helan Sheridan

Articles

Vitamin K1 (VitK1) and Vitamin K2 (VitK2), two important naturally occurring micronutrients in the VitK family, found, respectively, in green leafy plants and algae (VitK1) and animal and fermented foods (VitK2). The present review explores the multiple biological functions of VitK2 from recently published in vitro and in vivo studies, including promotion of osteogenesis, prevention of calcification, relief of menopausal symptoms, enhancement of mitochondrial energy release, hepato-and neuro-protective effects, and possible use in treatment of coronavirus disease. The mechanisms of action associated with these biological effects are also explored. Overall, the findings presented here suggest that VitK, especially VitK2, is …

Protein Extraction And Purification By Differential Solubilization, Barry J. Ryan, Gemma K. Kinsella, Gary T. Henehan

Books/Book Chapters/ Proceedings

The preparation of purified soluble proteins for biochemical studies is essential and the solubility of a protein of interest in various media is central to this process. Selectively altering the solubility of a protein is a rapid and economical step in protein purification and is based on exploiting the inherent physicochemical properties of a polypeptide. Precipitation of proteins, released from cells upon lysis, is often used to concentrate a protein of interest before further purification steps (e.g., ion exchange chromatography, size exclusion chromatography etc).

Recombinant proteins may be expressed in host cells as insoluble inclusion bodies due to various influences …

Sustainable Utilisation And Management Of Food Waste For High-Value Products, Amit Jaiswal

Articles

Welcome to the Special Issue on “Sustainable Utilisation and Management of Food Waste for High-Value Products”. This Special Issue focuses on one of the most critical challenges facing our world today—the efficient management and utilisation of food waste. It presents a variety of scientific investigations from renowned scholars and researchers worldwide to address this challenge, covering an array of topics ranging from fundamental research to real-world applications. Food waste is a global dilemma that requires urgent attention. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), approximately one-third of food produced for human consumption worldwide, or around 1.3 billion tons, is …

Isolation And Identification Of Chlorate-Reducing Hafnia Sp. From Milk, William P. Mccarthy, Meghana Srinivas, Martin Danaher, Christine O'Connor, Tom F. O'Callaghan, Douwe Van Sinderen, John Kenny, John T. Tobin

Articles

Chlorate has become a concern in the food and beverage sector, related to chlorine sanitizers in industrial food production and water treatment. It is of particular concern to regulatory bodies due to the negative health effects of chlorate exposure. This study investigated the fate of chlorate in raw milk and isolated bacterial strains of interest responsible for chlorate breakdown. Unpasteurized milk was demonstrated to have a chlorate-reducing capacity, breaking down enriched chlorate to undetectable levels in 11 days. Further enrichment and isolation using conditions specific to chlorate-reducing bacteria successfully isolated three distinct strains of Hafnia paralvei . Chlorate-reducing bacteria were …

Biofabrication Of Magnetic Nanoparticles And Their Use As Carriers For Pectinase And Xylanase, Shady S. Hassan, Brendan Duffy, Gwilym A. Williams, Amit Jaiswal

Articles

In this study, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MNPs) were synthesized via exposure of fungal cell filtrate from Aspergillus flavus to aqueous iron ions. The extracellular synthesis of MNPs was monitored by UV–Vis spectrophotometry and showed an absorption peak at 310 nm. The morphology of MNPs was found to be flake-like, as confirmed by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), while the average crystallite size was ∼16 nm, as determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis was performed to confirm the presence of elemental Fe in the sample. Pectinase and xylanase were covalently immobilized on MNPs with efficiencies …

Chemical Effects Of Cold Atmospheric Plasma On Food Nutrients, Juan Manuel Pérez Andrés

Doctoral

A range of nonthermal techniques have demonstrated process efficacy in ensuring food product safety, extension of shelf-life and in general a retention of key quality attributes. However, various physical, chemical and biochemical effects of nonthermal techniques on both macro and micronutrients are evident, leading to both desirable and undesirable changes in food products. It is important to outline the effects of non-thermal techniques on food chemistry and the associated degradation mechanisms with the treatment of foods. Oxidation is one of the key mechanisms responsible for undesirable effects induced by non-thermal techniques. Degradation of key macromolecules largely depends on the processing …

Dissipation Of Pesticide Residues On Grapes And Strawberries Using Plasma-Activated Water, Chaitanya Sarangapani, Laurence Scally, Miroslav Gulan, P. J. Cullen

Articles

In this study, we present a novel atmospheric air plasma discharge for the generation of plasma-activated water (PAW), with the aim of reducing pesticide residues on fresh fruit. For this purpose, a large discharge volume pin-to-plate cold plasma reactor was employed. The pesticide-spiked grapes and strawberries were processed with varying PAW concentrations to study their efficacies for pesticide degradation combined with an evaluation of any induced changes in key nutritional and quality attributes. The results suggest that the reduction of chlorpyrifos was 79% on grapes and 69% on strawberries while that of carbaryl was 86% on grapes and 73% on …

Food Proteins: Sustainable Sources Of Proteins Responsible For Emulsions Stability In Food Products, Gleicy Kelly Oliveira Nogueria

Theses

One of the major challenges manufactures are facing is the fact that consumer’s personal health standards are changing constantly, modern consumers are willing to know more about the ingredients used in their food. The relationship with ethics and sustainability is leading to changes in the food industry. Seen this, manufactures are opting for other sources of ingredients, such as plant-based alternatives. However, the use of these sort of products need to be developed due to of their unknown properties. The use of sustainable plant proteins provides a variety of benefits to the product, such as added nutritional value as fiber, …

Pilot Scale Pyrolysis Of Activated Sludge Waste From Milk Processing Factory, Marzena Kwapinska, Alen Horvat, Yupeng Liu, James Leahy

Articles

The majority of the sludge from the treatment of wastewater in milk processing plants is land spread. The drawbacks of land spreading include local oversupply due to high transport costs, which results in sludge being spread on lands in the vicinity of the dairy factories. Local oversupply can lead to accumulation of certain substances in soil through annual application over many years. Therefore, in the long term, there is a need for alternative methods to recover energy and nutrients from increasing volumes of sludge generated from dairy processing. Pyrolysis ofers a potential alternative to land spreading, which can reduce health …

Integration Of Technology In The Chemistry Classroom And Laboratory, Barry J. Ryan

Books/Book Chapters/ Proceedings

The role of technology in the chemistry classroom and laboratory continues to evolve, with mainstream applications such as pre-lecture/laboratory resources being supplemented by technological innovations such as immersive reality. Although the range is vast, care must be taken to select appropriate and pedagogically aligned technologies to enable learning.

In this chapter a model for the appropriate selection and application of technology enabled learning in chemistry is developed and explored in the context of two case-studies. This model, LEAPTech, is based on ten years of personal experience, informed by evidence and underpinned by the scholarly literature. This model will serve as …

On The Use Of Vibrational Spectroscopy And Scanning Electron Microscopy To Study Phenolic Extractability Of Cooperage Byproducts In Wine, Berta Baca‑Bocanegra, Julio Nogales‑Bueno, Brian Gorey, Francisco José Heredia, Hugh Byrne, José Miguel Hernández‑Hierro

Articles

Wood is an important source of phenolic compounds, which can be transferred to wine during aging process, improving its properties, from an organoleptic point of view. Therefore, understanding and optimizing the extractability of phenolic compounds from wood are crucial in the oenological field. The structural composition of oak wood samples has been evaluated using Raman and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR–FTIR) spectroscopies, and their main spectral features have been linked to phenolic compound extractabilities, as measured by classic chemical analyses. To support the analysis, microscopic images of the samples were also recorded using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The …

Thermostable Phytase In Feed And Fuel Industries, Ushasree Mrudula Vasudevan, Amit Jaiswal, Shyam Krishna, Ashok Pandey

Articles

Phytase with wide ranging biochemical properties has long been utilized in a multitude of industries, even so, thermostability plays a crucial factor in choosing the right phytase in a few of the sectors. Mesophilic phytases are not considered to be a viable option in the feed industry owing to its limited stability in the required feed processing temperature. In the recent past, inclusion of thermostable phytase in fuel ethanol production from starch based raw material has been demonstrated with economic benefits. Therefore, considerable emphasis has been placed on using complementary approaches such as mining of extremophilic microbial wealth, encapsulation and …

Spheroid-3d And Monolayer-2d Intestinal Electrochemical Biosensor For Toxicity/Viability Testing: Applications In Drug Screening, Food Safety, And Environmental Pollutant Analysis, Evangelia Flampouri, Shahzad Imar, Kieran O'Connell, Baljit Singh

Articles

The rise of three-dimensional cell culture systems that provide in vivo-like environments for pharmaco-toxicological models has prompted the need for simple and robust viability assays suitable for complex cell architectural structures. This study addresses that challenge with the development of an in vitro enzyme based electrochemical sensor for viability/cytotoxicity assessment of two-dimensional (2D) monolayer and three-dimensional (3D) spheroid culture formats. The biosensor measures the cell viability/toxicity via electrochemical monitoring of the enzymatic activity of nonspecific esterases of viable cells, through the hydrolysis of 1-naphthyl acetate to 1-naphthol. The proposed sensor demonstrated strong correlation (r = 0.979) with viable …

Rapid Analysis Of Magnesium In Infant Formula Powder Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Maria Markiewicz-Keszycka, Ming Zhao, Xavier Cama-Moncunill, Toufic El Arnaout, Dana Becker, Colm O'Donnell, P. J. Cullen, Carl Sullivan, Maria Piedad Casado-Gavalda

Articles

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was investigated to determine magnesium (Mg) content in infant formula powder. To predict Mg content in the range established by the Codex Alimentarius, a partial least squares regression (PLSR) model was developed using a calibration data set (n = 30) based on full cross-validation and validated using an independent validation data set (n = 21). The prediction model performance was evaluated using the regression coefficients of determination (Rcv2 = 0.94 and Rp2 = 0.85) with the root mean square errors on cross-validation and prediction (RMSECV = 60 mg kg−1 and RMSEP = 80 mg kg−1). The …

Assessment Of The Disinfection Capacity And Eco-Toxicological Impact Of Atmospheric Cold Plasma For Treatment Of Food Industry Effluents, Apurva Patange, Daniela Boehm, Michelle Giltrap, Peng Lu, P.J. Cullen, Paula Bourke

Articles

Generation of wastewater is one of the main environmental sustainability issues across food sector industries. The constituents of food process effluents are often complex and require high energy and processing for regulatory compliance. Wastewater streams are the subject of microbiological and chemical criteria, and can have a significant eco-toxicological impact on the aquatic life. Thus, innovative treatment approaches are required to mitigate environmental impact in an energy efficient manner. Here, dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) was evaluated for control of key microbial indicators encountered in food industry effluent. This study also investigated the eco-toxicological impact of cold plasma …

Synthesis, Characterisation And Dna Intercalation Studies Of Regioisomers Of Ruthenium (Ii) Polypyridyl Complexes, Laura Perdisatt, Samar Moqadasi, Luke O'Neill, Gary Hessman, Alessandra Ghion, Muhammad Qasim Mushtaq Warraich, Alan Casey, Christine O'Connor

Articles

Regioisomers of the functional group of the main ligand (L) on a series of [Ru(phen)2L]2+and [Ru(bpy)2L]2+ complexes, where phen is 1,10 phenanthroline and bpy is 2,2′-bipyridine, were synthesised to investigate the interaction with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as potential therapeutics. UV–Vis binding titrations, thermal denaturation and circular dichroism were used to evaluate their interaction with DNA. The conclusions indicated the significance of the auxiliary ligand; especially 1,10-phenanthroline has on the binding constants (Kb). The systematic variation of auxiliary ligand(phen or bpy), and polypyridyl ligand (4-(1H-Imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthrolin-2-yl)benzonitrile (CPIP), 2-(4-formylphenyl)imidazo[4,5-f] [1,10] phenanthroline (FPIP), 2-(4-bromophenyl)imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (BPIP) and 2-(4-nitrophenyl)imidazo[4,5-f] [1,10] phenanthroline (NPIP), split in terms of …

Targeting The Folate Receptor: Improving Efficacy In Inorganic Medicinal Chemistry, Pauraic Mccarron, Aisling Crowley, Denis O'Shea, Malachy Mccann, Orla L. Howe, Mary Hunt, Michael Devereux

Articles

The discovery of the high-affinity, high-specificity folate receptor in mamalian kidney cells, coupled with the ability of folate to enter cells by folate receptor-mediated endocytosis and the subsequent elucidation of the folate receptor’s overexpression in specific cancer cell types; heralded the arrival of the area of chemotherapeutic folate targeting. The application of purely organic folate-based small-molecule drug conjugates that selectively target the folate receptor, which is over expressed in several diseases such as cancer, is well established. The application of inorganic folate-targeted drugs offers significant potential to expand and enhance this therapeutic approach. From the data made available to date, …

Chemical Modifications Of Lipids And Proteins By Nonthermal Food Processing Technologies, Juan M. PéRez-AndréS, CléMentine Charoux, Patrick J. Cullen, Brijesh K. Tiwari

Articles

A range of nonthermal techniques have demonstrated process efficacy in ensuring product safety, extension of shelf life, and in general a retention of key quality attributes. However, various physical, chemical and biochemical effects of nonthermal techniques on macro and micro nutrients are evident, leading to both desirable and undesirable changes in food products. The objective of this review is to outline the effects of nonthermal techniques on food chemistry and the associated degradation mechanisms with the treatment of foods. Oxidation is one of the key mechanisms responsible for undesirable effects induced by nonthermal techniques. Degradation of key macromolecules largely depends …

Formulation, Characterisation And Stability Assessment Of A Food Derived 1 Tripeptide, Leucine-Lysine-Proline Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles, M.K. Danish, Giuliana Vozza, Hugh Byrne, Jesus Maria Frias, Sinead Ryan

Articles

The chicken or fish derived tripeptide, Leucine-Lysine-Proline (LKP), inhibits the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme and may be used as an alternative treatment for pre-hypertension. However, it has low permeation across the small intestine. The formulation of LKP into a nanoparticle (NP) has the potential to address this issue. LKP-loaded NPs were produced using an ionotropic gelation technique, using chitosan (CL113). Following optimisation of unloaded NPs, a mixture amount design was constructed using variable concentration of CL113 and tripolyphosphate at a fixed LKP concentration. Resultant particle sizes ranged from 120-271 nm, zeta potential values from 29-37 mV and polydispersity values from 0.3-0.6. …

Study Of Phenolic Extractability In Grape Seeds By Means Of Atr-Ftir And Raman Spectroscopy, Julio Nogales-Bueno, Berta Baca-Bocanegra, Abigail Rooney, José Miguel Hernández-Hierro, Hugh Byrne, Francisco José Heredia

Articles

Near infrared hyperspectral imaging has been applied to grape seeds in order to select a representative subset of samples according to their spectral features in the 900-1700nm range. Afterwards, selected grape seeds have been classified according to their total phenol and flavanol extractabilities. In this way, samples were sorted in three different groups identified as low, medium and high extractability levels. In order to establish the chemical structures which can be responsible for the different extractabilities, vibrational spectroscopy has been applied to the non-extracted material after seed extractions. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and Raman spectra of non-extracted …

Quantification Of Trace Metals In Infant Formula Premixes Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Raquel Cama-Moncunill, Maria Piedad Casado-Gavalda, Xavier Cama-Moncunill, Maria Markiewicz-Keszycka, Yash Dixit, Patrick J. Cullen, Carl Sullivan

Articles

Infant formula is a human milk substitute generally based upon fortified cow milk components. In order to mimic the composition of breast milk, trace elements such as copper, iron and zinc are usually added in a single operation using a premix. The correct addition of premixes must be verified to ensure that the target levels in infant formulae are achieved. In this study, a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system was assessed as a fast validation tool for trace element premixes. LIBS is a promising emission spectroscopic technique for elemental analysis, which offers real-time analyses, little to no sample preparation and …

The Potential Of Atmospheric Air Cold Plasma For Control Of Bacterial Contaminants Relevant To Cereal Grain Production, Agata Los, Dana Ziuzina, Daniela Boehm, Patrick J. Cullen, Paula Bourke

Articles

The aim of this work was to investigate the efficacy of dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (DBD ACP) against bacteria associated with grains quality and safety. ACP inactivation efficacy was tested against biofilms formed by different strains of E. coli, Bacillus and Lactobacillus in grain model media and against B. atrophaeus endospores either in grain media or attached on abiotic surfaces. Effects were dependent on bacterial strain, media composition and mode of ACP exposure. ACP treatment for 5min reduced E. coli spp., B. subtilis and Lactobacillus spp. biofilms by >3 log10, whereas insignificant reductions were achieved for B. atrophaeus. …

Extraction And Quantification Of Sinapinic Acid From Irish Rapeseed Meal And Assessment Of Angiotensin-I Converting Enzyme (Ace-I) Inhibitory Activity, Leah Quinn, Steven Gray, Steve Meaney, Stephen Finn, Padraig Mcloughlin, Maria Hayes

Articles

Phenolic compounds, including phenolic acids, are known to play a protective role against the development of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this work was to generate a phenolic acid extract from Irish rapeseed meal, to determine the quantity of sinapinic acid (SA) in this fraction and to assess the ability of this fraction to inhibit the enzyme angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE-I; EC 3.4.15.1). A crude phenolic extract (fraction 1), free phenolic acid containing extract (fraction 2), and an extract containing phenolic acids liberated from esters (fraction 3) were generated from Irish rapeseed meal using a methanol:acetone:water solvent mixture (7:7:6). The …

Quantification Of Copper Content With Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy As A Potential Indicator Of Offal Adulteration In Beef, Maria Piedad Casado-Gavalda, Yash Dixit, David Geulen, Raquel Cama-Moncunill, Xavier Cama-Moncunill, Maria Markiewicz-Keszycka, Patrick J. Cullen, Carl Sullivan

Articles

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is an emerging technique in the field of food analysis which provides various advantages such as minimal sample preparation, chemical free, rapid detection, provision of spatial information and portability. In this study, LIBS was employed for quantitative analysis of copper content in minced beef samples spiked with beef liver over three independent batches. Copper content was determined with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GFAAS) in order to obtain reference values for modelling. Partial least square regression (PLSR) was performed to build a calibration and validation model. A calibration model with a high Rcv2 of 0.85 …

Feasibility Of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (Libs) As An At-Line Validation Tool For Calcium Determination In Infant Formula, Xavier Cama-Moncunill, Maria Markiewicz-Keszycka, Yash Dixit, Raquel Cama-Moncunill, Maria Piedad Casado-Gavalda, Patrick J. Cullen, Carl Sullivan

Articles

In this study, a 150 mJ laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system was assessed to determine calcium content in infant formula (IF) samples. LIBS is a promising emission spectroscopic technique for elemental analysis, which offers advantages over conventional methods such as real-time analyses, little to no sample preparation and ease of use. The aim of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of LIBS as an at-line tool for IF manufacturing. To this end, IF mixtures with varying content of calcium were prepared over a range (approx. 1.5–7 mg/g of calcium) selected to be in conformity with the guidelines provided by …

Quantification Of Rubidium As A Trace Element In Beef Using Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Yash Dixit, Maria Piedad Casado-Gavalda, Raquel Cama-Moncunill, Xavier Cama-Moncunill, Patrick J. Cullen, Carl Sullivan

Articles

This study evaluates the potential of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) coupled with chemometrics to develop a quantification model for rubidium (Rb) in minced beef. A LIBSCAN 150 system was used to collect LIBS spectra of minced beef samples. Beef liver was used to spike the Rb levels in minced beef. All samples were dried, powdered and pelleted using a hydraulic press. Measurements were conducted by scanning 100 different locations with an automated XYZ sample chamber. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to develop the calibration model, yielding a calibration coefficient of determination (Rc2) of 0.99 and a root …

Evaluation Of Chemical Immersion Treatments To Reduce Microbial Populations In Fresh Beef, Ahmed Kassem, Joseph Meade, James Gibbons, Kevina Mcgill, Ciara Walsh, James Lyng, Paul Whyte

Articles

The aim of the current study was to assess the ability of a number of chemicals (acetic Acid (AA), citric acid (CA) lactic acid (LA), sodium decanoate (SD) and trisodium phosphate (TSP)) to reduce microbial populations (total viable count, Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes) on raw beef using an immersion system. The following concentrations of each chemical were used: 3 & 5% for AA, CA, LA, SD and 10 & 12% for TSP. Possible synergistic effects of using combinations of two chemicals sequentially (LA +CA and LA +AA) were also investigated. L*, a* and b* values …

Characterization Of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Atmospheric Air Plasma Treated Chitosan Films, Shashi Pankaj, Carmen Bueno-Ferrer, Luke O'Neill, B.K. Tiwari, Paula Bourke, Patrick J. Cullen

Articles

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma is a novel non-thermal food decontamination technology. The effects of DBD plasma on the surface topography, chemical composition and crystal structure, film hydrophilicity, water vapor permeability and oxygen permeability of chitosan films have been examined. DBD plasma treatment increased the surface roughness of chitosan films with emergence of sharp protuberances. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra confirm a significant increase in the oxygen containing groups in the chitosan film after plasma treatment. Significant increase in the film hydrophilicity was observed after plasma treatment. X-ray diffraction results showed that DBD plasma treatment do …

The Contribution Of Non-Thermal And Advanced Oxidation Technologies Towards Dissipation Of Pesticide Residues, N. Misra

Articles

Background

The use of pesticides has stabilised the food production to a great extent and their usage cannot be avoided anymore. Nevertheless, common food processing operations always allowed dissipating pesticide residues in foods to some extent. Within the food science community and the food processing sector, non-thermal food technologies are being researched and commercialised at a great pace over the past three decades.

Scope and Approach

In this review we provide a critical analysis of the literature pertinent to the fate of pesticide residues during non-thermal processing of solid and liquid foods. We also identify the opportunities for further development …

A Soft Condensed Matter Approach Towards Mathematical Modelling Of Mass Transport And Swelling In Food Grains, Michael Chapwanya, N. Misra

Articles

Soft condensed matter (SCM) physics has recently gained importance for a large class of engineering materials. The treatment of food materials from a soft matter perspective, however, is only at the surface and is gaining importance for understanding the complex phenomena and structure of foods. In this work, we present a theoretical treatment of navy beans from a SCM perspective to describe the hydration kinetics. We solve the transport equations within a porous matrix and employ the Flory–Huggin’s equation for polymer–solvent mixture to balance the osmotic pressure. The swelling of the legume seed is modelled as a moving boundary with …