New Chemical Syntheses Institute

Yarrow has long been known as a medicinal plant and has recently been gaining in importance as a cosmetic plant. The purpose of the study was to perform a phytochemical evaluation of extracts from yarrow herb of the Paprika cultivar, which has not previously been studied in this regard, and to determine its protective, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. Comparative analysis of two types of extracts, obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), showed that the former had higher content of bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and condensed tannins, as well as better antioxidant properties, as determined by spectrophotometric methods (DPPH and FRAP). The biological properties of the water–ethanol yarrow herb extract obtained by UAE was tested in vitro on 15 microbial strains (14 bacterial strains and one fungal strain), as well as on two lines of skin cells: HaCaT keratinocytes and HDF fibroblasts. In addition, the sun protection factor and rheological characteristics of a model cosmetic cream based on the extract were determined. Yarrow extract was shown to exhibit a number of important activities for cosmetic ingredients, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, photoprotective, and anti-ageing activity. The results of the study indicate that this material has potential applications in cosmetics, e.g., in products for mature skin with signs of ageing such as wrinkles or hyperpigmentation.

The exploration of natural antifungal substances from algal origins is significant due to the increasing resistance of pathogens to conventional antifungal agents and the growing consumer demand for natural products. This manuscript represents the inaugural investigation into the antifungal attributes of bioactive compounds extracted from Fucus vesiculosus via supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extraction utilizing contemporary countercurrent chromatography (CCC). In aligning with the prospective utilization of this extract within the agricultural sector, this study also serves as the preliminary report demonstrating the capability of Fucus vesiculosus scCO2 extract to enhance the activity of plant resistance enzymes. The fractions obtained through CCC were subjected to evaluation for their efficacy in inhibiting the macrospores of Fusarium culmorum. The CCC methodology facilitated the successful separation of fatty acids (reaching up to 82.0 wt.% in a given fraction) and fucosterol (attaining up to 79.4 wt.% in another fraction). All CCC fractions at the concentration of 1.0% were found to inhibit 100% of Fusarium culmorum growth. Moreover, Fucus vesiculosus scCO2 extract was able to activate plant resistance enzymes (Catalase, Ascorbic Peroxidase, Guaiacol Peroxidase, Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase, and Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase Activity).

Commercial zeolite Y with different n(Si)/n(Al) ratios modified with copper cations were evaluated in the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxide with ammonia (NH3-SCR-DeNOx). Among the investigated catalysts, the highest activity was achieved over CuY_CBV100 with 7.7 wt % of Cu. The activity of this sample was further confirmed in the feed of the tail gases stream from the pilot HNO3 plant. The highest N2 selectivity possesses CuY_CBV500 (3.7 wt % of Cu). To improve catalytic properties, both zeolites were mixed before ion exchange with copper, as well as in a more effective approach, both Cu-containing catalysts were physically mixed (in different weight ratios, 1:1, 1:9, 3:7, 7:3). CuY_CBV100 is more active due to the presence of more active sites, available in reduction/oxidation half-cycles.

Recently, there has been an increased interest in the valorization of byproducts generated during fruit processing. An example of this is the waste produced during the processing of strawberries. For instance, it has been evidenced that strawberries seeds can be a valuable source of oil. The goal of this paper was to investigate the potential of strawberry seed residues after oil extraction (defatted seeds) as a source of phenolics with possible cosmetic applications. The components were recovered using water and ethanol mixture, assisted by heat, ultrasound, and microwave. The extracts were characterized through ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with spectrophotometric and mass detectors (UPLC-DAD-MS), and the biological properties of the phenolic-rich fraction were assessed using antioxidant tests and a cell viability assay on human skin fibroblasts. The study revealed that defatted strawberry seeds are rich in low molecular weight phenolics, specifically in tiliroside, kaempferol 3-glucoside, and ellagic acid. Furthermore, the phenolic-rich fraction was effective in scavenging free radicals in human skin fibroblasts and showed cytoprotective activity against oxidative stress. This evidence suggests that defatted strawberry seeds are a valuable material for further processing to obtain a beneficial additive for skincare products.

This article concerns the identification of a transfer function which contains principal design and dynamic parameters of a hydraulic viscous disc clutch operated and controlled by an electrorheological (ER) fluid as a working fluid. A mathematical model of clutch dynamics is created as part of the clutch identification. It is considered that the changes in torque over time are described by transfer function represented by the first-order system with time delay. A prototypic clutch and a test bench are constructed, and tests are performed. A high voltage step input is used to trigger the torque changes. Constant parameters of the first-order system with time delay are identified on the basis of bench tests. According to the values of these parameters, a proportional-integral (PI) controller is selected for the closed-loop control system. It is found that operation of such a control system utilizing the identified design parameters is acceptable with high accuracy under external disturbances.

The Box–Behnken experimental design was used to investigate the effect of subcritical water extraction parameters such as temperature, process duration, and extractor shape on the extract composition and antioxidant activity of Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.) bark extracts. Spectrophotometric (UV-Vis) techniques were employed to evaluate the total polyphenols (TPC) and flavonoids (TFC). The DPPH radical scavenging method was used to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the extracts. The yield of the process was evaluated through the utilization of response surface methodology (RSM). The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, together with antioxidant activity, are highly dependent on water temperature. The influence of changes in the process duration and the shape of the pressure cell was not observed. A temperature increase from 110 °C to 170 °C caused a 8.9-fold increase in the polyphenol content, 7.2-fold increase in the flavonoid content, and 12.6-fold increase in the antioxidant activity. The highest values for polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity occurred at a temperature of 170 °C, which is the upper limit of the temperature variability range for these studies. This study demonstrates the importance of the appropriate selection of extraction parameters in order to obtain the desired chemical composition of the extract.

In 2019, under the Act on the Łukasiewicz Research Network, an extensive network was established in Poland, consisting of 38 research and development units operating in various fields of science and concentrated in various parts of the country. The network brings together expert scientific staff (over 4,500 scientists) and manages over 400 laboratories and has specialised research equipment. Currently, 4 years have passed since its establishment, and as a result of optimisation and reorganisation, it consists of 22 institutes. This work presents an overview of the Network's activities and summarises the most important aspects of its activities and identifies mechanisms that allow it to build its position in the scientific community and in the European Research Area.

Wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) seed oil (WSO) recovered by two methods—cold pressing (CP) and extraction with supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2E)—taking into account the different extraction times, was characterized for its composition and quality. The cytotoxicity assessment of WSOs was also carried out using the normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) cell line. Tocopherol and total polyphenol contents were significantly higher in WSO recovered by SCO2E, up to 1901.0 and 58.5 mg/kg, respectively, in comparison with CP oil. In CP oil, the highest content of carotenoids and squalene was determined (123.8 and 31.4 mg/kg, respectively). Phytosterol summed up to 5396 mg/kg in WSO collected in 30 min of SCO2E. Moreover, the highest oxidative stability was found for this oil. All studied WSOs were non-cytotoxic in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leaching and sulforhodamine B (SRB) assays; however, oils collected by SCO2E in 15 and 30 min were found to be cytotoxic in the tetrazolium salt (MTT) test, with the CC50 at a concentration of 3.4 and 5.5%, respectively. In conclusion, the composition of WSO indicates that, depending on the method of its recovery, seeds can have different bio-potencies and various applications.

Phosphate rocks (PRs) play a crucial role in ensuring the availability of phosphorous for the world's food needs. PRs are used to manufacture phosphoric acid in the wet process as well as P-fertilizers. The chemical and mineralogical compositions of PRs from Djebel Onk (Algeria), Khneifiss (Syria), Negev (Israel), Bou Craa (Morocco), and Khouribga (Morocco) are discussed in this study. PRs were characterized by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS), ion chromatography (IC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), as well as gravimetric and potentiometric methods. All PRs were mainly composed of CaO, P2O5, SiO2, F, SO3, Na2O, MgO, Al2O3, Fe2O3, SrO, and K2O at the level of wt.%. The P2O5 content accounted for 28.7-31.2%, which indicates that these are beneficial rocks to a marketable product. The degree of PR purity expressed by the minor elements ratio index (MER index) varied from 2.46% to 10.4%, and the CaO/P2O5 weight ratio from 1.6 to 1.9. In addition, the occurrence of trace elements such as As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Ti, V, U, and Zn, as well as Cr(VI) and Cl ions at the level of mg∙kg-1 was found. Since PRs will be used to produce P-fertilizers, their composition was compared with the regulatory parameters set up by EU Regulation 2019/1009 related to the heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb, Ni, Hg, Cu, Zn) and Cr(VI) contents in inorganic fertilizers. The heavy metals and Cr(VI) content in all PRs did not exceed the limit values. XRD analysis revealed that fluorapatite, hydroxyapatite, carbonate fluorapatite, and carbonate hydroxyapatite were the dominant minerals. The accuracy and precision of the used methods were evaluated by analysis of standard reference materials (SRM) for Western Phosphate Rock (NIST 694). The recovery was 85.3% for U and 109% for K2O, and the RSD ranged from 0.67% to 12.8%.