No abstract

Aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE), unique liquid-liquid extraction, involves a transfer of solute from one aqueous phase to another. ATPE includes polymer-polymer type and polymer-salt type systems for the recovery of proteins. The protein must be recovered in a highly purified form in order to improve its quality, decrease energy consumption, reduce waste and minimize costs. To acquire the high value and achieve good control over processes, the reliable, multi-component products are required especially those with the ability to investigate complex processing conditions. The current reviewing paper discusses the most recent progresses for the recovery of biomolecules by using the ATPE, covering the mechanism, which controls the phase formation and the behavior of solute partitioning in aqueous twophase systems (ATPS) processes. The review discusses also the increasing application for the recovery of high-value bioproducts, the recent development of alternative low cost ATPS and disadvantages attributed to ATPS.

This study was probably the first research carried out to investigate the microbiological quality of some vegetables sold in ED DueimTwon, Sudan. Four species of vegetables were used, Arugula (Eruca sativa), Mloukhia (Corchorus olitorius), Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and Green pepper (Capsicum annuum). The samples were collected and examined according to standardized methods for total viable bacteria, coliforms and fecal coliform count. The average of total viable count ranged from 1.2 x 105-5.6 x 105 CFU mL(-1) for Arugula; 2.1 x 105-2.8 x 107 CFU mL(-1) for Mloukhia; 3.4 x 105-4.8 x 105 for Tomato and 2.3 x 105-8.0 x 106 CFU mL(-1) for Green pepper. However, the maximum level of total and fecal coliform were (93, 21); (28, 11); (75, 15) and (150, 20) MPN 100 mL(-1), respectively. Twelve bacteria belonging to five genera were isolated. Staphylococcus (33%) was the most predominant isolated followed by Enterobacteriaceae (25%), Bacillus (17%) and Streptococcus (17%). Micrococcus (8%) was the least dominant isolated. The results of microbial counts of these vegetable samples in this study indicate that, the agricultural practices, harvesting, hygiene, transporting and selling points are poor and therefore, the higher microbial load could be risked for public health.

Background: Unsafe food is a serious concern for human health and well-being and has surfaced as a burning issue worldwide. Aims: The present work was aimed at assessing the awareness, behavior and practices of food safety and hygiene among Women in Eastern region of Saudi Arabia. Methodology: A comprehensive questionnaire was designed for collecting required data. The questionnaire comprised mainly of three questions pertaining to food safety issue like (1) knowledge and attitude of food handling (buying, storage and serving food), (2) behavior and practices, (3) food safety knowledge & awareness. The data were analyzed for descriptive, frequency distribution and percentages using SPSS software. Results: Findings indicated that 40% of the women purchased their foods and needs on weekly basis with high rate for the chicken (67.7%) and meat (57.9%), while 26.4% “weekly” utilize or cook vegetables and fruits. 96.2%, 97.4% and 98.3% of the women “always” washed their hands after touching raw chicken/meats and fish, while 48.9% utilized separate cutting boards/knives for raw chicken/meat and fish. However, 89.8% of respondent female rinse cutting boards, knives and plates used for chicken/meats and fish before using them for other food. Only 22.6% of the women “always” checked their fridge temperature (4°C), while 28.1% and 23.4% of the female believed that it was “safe” to leave hot or cold foods out of the fridge for more than 4 hours, respectively. 60% of women believed that it was safe practices to thaw food outside the fridge. Conclusion: Majority of the women in Eastern region (>90%) were well aware of food safety and wash their hands, cutting boards, knives and plates. However, about 25% of the respondent’s female believed that it was “safe” to leave hot/cold foods out of the fridge for more than 4 hours, while 60% believed it was “safe” to defrost frozen foods outside the fridge.

Adansonia digitata exhibits numerous beneficial effects. In the current study, we investigated the anti-cancer effects of four different extracts of A. digitata (polar and non-polar extracts of fruit powder and fibers) on the proliferation of human colon cancer (HCT116), human breast cancer (MCF-7), and human ovarian cancer (OVCAR-3 and OVCAR-4) cell lines. RNA sequencing revealed the influence of the effective A. digitata fraction on the gene expression profiles of responsive cells. The results indicated that only the polar extract of the A. digitata fibers exhibited anti-proliferative activities against HCT116 and MCF-7 cells, but not ovarian cancer cells. Moreover, the polar extract of the fibers resulted in the modulation of the expression of multiple genes in HCT116 and MCF-7 cells. We propose that casein kinase 2 alpha 3 ( CSNK2A3) is a novel casein kinase 2 ( CSNK2) isoform in HCT116 cells and report, for the first time, the potential involvement of FYVE, RhoGEF, and PH domain-containing 3 ( FGD3) in colon cancer. Together, these findings provide evidence supporting the anti-cancer potential of the polar extract of A. digitata fibers in this experimental model of breast and colon cancers.