Characterization of Royal Jelly by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Fingerprinting

Royal jelly is an apicultural product, fed to the queen bee and consumed by humans as a health food and traditional medicine; its beneficial effects on human health have been the subject of several studies. As royal jelly is obtained in small amounts and reaches a high market price, it could be adultered with other cheaper substances. As it is prone to degradation at room temperature, lyophilization is used to prolong its shelf life. 

Due to the complex composition of royal jelly, several different parameters need to be evaluated to determine of freshness, purity and quality; consuming an appreciable amount of sample and time. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS)fingerprinting was carried out in the negative ion mode on a high resolution FT-ICR mass spectrometer; marker compounds were identified by comparison of their high resolution mass with data from literature. ESI-MS fingerprinting was capable of characterizing natural, lyophilized, degraded and adultered samples of royal jelly, and indicate marker compounds for each set of samples, with the aid of Principal Component Analysis. 

Adding Analytical Metrics to the Production and Aging of Whiskey Using a Protein Sensor Assay

Differentiation of complex biological samples in a rapid and reliable manner is a major challenge for analytical chemists and biologists alike. Recently, the utility of a protein-based assay (PSA) for differentiating wine varietals, cellular stress, and urine was demonstrated.

The assay uses a highly abundant protein in mammalian blood, serum albumin (SA), as a sensor that works by binding a subset of the small molecules present in a sample.

Analysis of the selectively bound molecules by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) improves the ability to differentiate and categorize samples compared to direct analysis by LC-MS.

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Chemical, Structural and Elemental Characterization of Biosorbents Using FE-SEM, SEM-EDX, XRD/XRPD and ATR-FTIR Techniques

Given the increased emphasis on the use of lignite and coconut shell-based activated carbon fiber (ACF), powdered oyster shell, and acidified powdered Pinus densiflora (Japanese red pine) pine cones as the prominent biosorbents for anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) adsorption, there have been surprisingly few studies undertaken to characterize the chemical, structural, and elemental composition of aforementioned samples.

The main aim of this study, therefore was to investigate the chemistry, structure, and mineralogy of lignite and coconut shell-based activated carbon fiber (ACF), powdered oyster shell, and powdered Pinus densiflora pine cones samples using multiple characterization techniques including x-ray diffraction (XRD)/x-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), multiple internal reflectance (MIR) or attenuated transform reflectance.

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive x-ray (SEM-EDX). In addition, the samples were treated to determine the iodine number or iodine index for the characterization of the three samples.

A New Optical Sensor for Selective Monitoring of Nickel Ion Based on A Hydrazone Derivative Immobilized on the Triacetyl Cellulose Membrane

In the recent years, pollution of the environment by heavy metals has received considerable attention. Nickel is a moderate toxic element compared to other transition metals.

However, it is known that inhalation of nickel and its compounds can lead to serious problems, including respiratory system cancer. Moreover, nickel can cause a disorder known as nickel-eczema. Nickel is an excellent alloying metal in steel industry and is the metal component of the enzyme urease and as such is considered to be essential to plants and some domestic animals.

This metal normally occurs at very low level in the environment, so sensitive methods are needed to detect it in most environmental samples. Thus, the development of simple methods for selective determination of nickel in trace amounts in different matrices is critical.

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Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Dan-Deng-Tong-Nao Capsules by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS

“Dan-Deng-Tong-Nao capsules” (DDTNCs) is a commonly used traditional Chinese formula medicine, which is prepared (extracted, purified and combined) from four commonly used Chinese herb drugs, including Radix Salvia miltiorrhiza, Radix Pueraria lobata, Erigeron breviscapus and Rhizoma chuanxiong.

DDTNCs have the ability of activating blood circulation to dissipate blood stasis, removing obstruction in the meridians and heart-nourishing effects. It was usually used for the treatment of apoplexy and the syndrome of apoplexy involving both collaterals and meridians caused by obstruction of collaterals by blood stasis.

Chemical constituents of the four component herbs of DDTNCs have been intensively studied. However, little is known about the chemical composition of DDTNCs, and the current analysis methods could not reflect the quality of it.

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An Optical Sensor For Monitoring Nickel Selectively Using Immobilization Technology

In the recent years, pollution of the environment by heavy metals has received considerable attention. Nickel is a moderate toxic element compared to other transition metals.

However, it is known that inhalation of nickel and its compounds can lead to serious problems, including respiratory system cancer. Moreover, nickel can cause a disorder known as nickel-eczema. Nickel is an excellent alloying metal in steel industry and is the metal component of the enzyme urease and as such is considered to be essential to plants and some domestic animals.

This metal normally occurs at very low level in the environment, so sensitive methods are needed to detect it in most environmental samples. Thus, the development of simple methods for selective determination of nickel in trace amounts in different matrices is critical.

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Evaluation and Characterisation of Composite Mesoporous Membrane for Lactic Acid and Ethanol Esterification

Solvents play a major role in all stages of industrial manufacturing sector. The environmental and toxicological effects of solvents have become important in chemical processes.

Because environmental problems have threatened the natural order including climate change and global warming, a lot of research is being carried out to find environmentally safe chemicals and processes. Lactic acid is the simplest hydroxycarboxylic acid with an asymmetric carbon atom. It can be obtained from biomass, petroleum and coal.

Copolymers and polymers of lactic acid are known to be eco-friendly and are compatible due to their degradability mild products, which makes them desirable as an alternative petrochemical polymer.

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