Xiao-Hui Yao

Ultrasound extraction of polysaccharides from mulberry leaves and their effect on enhancing antioxidant activity.

A Box-Behnken design (BBD) was applied to optimize the ultrasound-assisted extraction of polysaccharides from mulberry leaves. Under the optimum conditions of an extraction temperature of 57 °C, an extraction time of 80 min and a liquid/solid ratio of 53 mL/g, the mulberry leaf polysaccharide (MLP) yield was 6.92 ± 0.29%. Then, three fractions of MLPs were obtained by deproteinization, dialysis and decolorization. The carbohydrate content, FT-IR spectrum and monosaccharide composition of the MLPs were also investigated. The antioxidant activities of the three fractions were compared, and the results indicated that the antioxidant activities decreased with the increasing MLP purity. Therefore, highly concentrated MLPs were shown to have very little antioxidant activity. After quercetin (10 μg/mL) was added, the antioxidant activities were improved significantly. This result showed that MLPs and quercetin have a synergistic effect on the antioxidant activity. Although the MLPs have very little antioxidant activity alone, they greatly enhance the antioxidant activity of flavonoids. Thus, MLPs can be used as an antioxidant activity enhancer in the food industry.

Preparation of a regenerated silk fibroin film and its adsorbability to azo dyes

In this work, a novel and sustainable biosorbent, regenerated silk fibroin film (rSFF) was successfully prepared and its adsorbability to azo dyes (acid yellow 11, naphthol orange and direct orange S) was measured. At optimal conditions, the adsorption capacity of rSFF for acid yellow 11 reached up to 59.71mg/g, which was 1.23-fold higher than that of raw silk fibroin fibers. More importantly, rSFF exhibited a high level of flexibility and functionality as well as a good shaping ability, which were crucial for its practical application. The SEM results showed that rSFF was a porous material, indicating that it had more available adsorption sites compared with raw silk fibroin fibers, which might contribute to the higher adsorption capacity of rSFF. Isotherm equilibrium studies revealed that the azo dye adsorption process followed the Langmuir model, indicating that rSFF was a structurally homogenous adsorbent. The recycle test showed that rSFF had potential to be reused in a number of treatment cycles. After five cycles, its adsorbability to acid yellow 11 remained as high as 47.20mg/g. Finally, a scale-up experiment was performed for rSFF, and the results indicated that it was feasible for rSFF to extend the practical application.

Functionalized cellulose beads with three dimensional porous structure for rapid adsorption of active constituents from Pyrola incarnata

In the present study, porous magnetic cellulose beads (CBs) were prepared and further modified using amines. The CBs appeared to have good spherical shape and three-dimensional (3D) porous structure. In the adsorption tests, the modified cellulose beads (MCBs) showed better adsorption capacities and shorter adsorption times on hyperin and 2-O-galloylhyperin than the commercial resins. The adsorption may be due to the hydrogen bonding between the target compounds and the amine groups of MCBs. After adsorption and desorption, the contents of hyperin and 2-O-galloylhyperin reached 1.32% and 3.92%, which were 4.08 and 4.23 times higher than those in the Pyrola extracts. Therefore, the prepared MCBs in this study make an excellent adsorbing material of hyperin and 2-O-galloylhyperin, and it may have potential for the separation of other natural compounds.

Effect of different planting areas on the chemical compositions and hypoglycemic and antioxidant activities of mulberry leaf extracts in Southern China

Guangdong, Guangxi and Chongqing are emerging sericulture areas in China where the production of mulberry leaves is huge. In order to identity high quality mulberry leaves that are suitable for healthy products to expand planting, 24 samples from three regions (Guangdong, Guangxi, Chongqing) in the south of China were quantified for two alkaloids (1-deoxynojirimycin and fagomine) and five phenols (chlorogenic acid, rutin, isoquercitrin, etc.) using high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Additionally, the total phenolic and total flavonoid contents, antioxidant and glycosidase inhibitory activities (hypoglycemic activity) were tested using different assays (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP) to comprehensively evaluate the quality of the mulberry leaves. The contents of DNJ and fagomine ranged from 0.401±0.003 to 5.309±0.036 mg/g and from 0.279±0.031 to 2.300±0.060 mg/g, respectively. The main phenolic constituents were chlorogenic acid, rutin and isoquercitrin, with chlorogenic acid present in the highest concentrations, ranging from 3.104±0.191 to 10.050±0.143 mg/g. The antioxidant activity exhibited a tendency as follows: Guangxi > Guangdong > Chongqing, except for two samples from Chongqing, which showed the highest antioxidant activity. Based on our study, mulberry leaves from Guangdong and Guangxi could be future sources of natural hypoglycemic and antioxidant products.

Microwave assisted extraction for the determination of chlorogenic acid in Flos Lonicerae by direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS)

Flos Lonicerae was an important Chinese medicine. In this research, a microwave assisted extraction method was applied for the extraction of chlorogenic acid from Flos Lonicerae. The operating conditions were optimized using a Box-Behnken design test. Under the optimal conditions, the extraction yield of chlorogenic acid reached 32.52u202f±u202f1.31u202fmg/g. Next, a direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) method was utilized to quantify of chlorogenic acid in Flos Lonicerae extracts. The primary parameters were optimized to obtain maximum signal intensity. In the detection process of the actual samples, the results obtained by DART-MS are consistent with those obtained by HPLC method with short detection time and acceptable repeatability and precision (<15%). In addition, the DART-MS/MS method has several advantages, such as speed, low cost and simplicity. Therefore, the DART-MS method is an efficient method that can be applied in the quantification of chlorogenic acid in Flos Lonicerae.