e present study aimed to characterize the nutraceutical properties and the antimicrobial e ect of Moroccan Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis). e nutritional composition was evaluated, including water content, crude protein, total carbohydrates, lipids, phenolic composition, macro-and micromineral content, ber content, and energy value. en, the microbiological analysis and antioxidant activity were measured. e antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the minimum inhibitory concentration method on bacteria and fungi. Moroccan Spirulina contained a large amount of protein (76.65 ± 0.15%), followed by carbohydrates (6.46 ± 0.32%), minerals (20.91 ± 0.88%), crude ber (4.07 ± 1.42%), lipids (2.45 ± 0.82%), ash (14.56 ± 0.74), and twenty phenolic acids being identi ed and quanti ed. Moreover, avonoid and phenolic contents were present at 15.60 ± 2.74 mg RE/g dw and 4.19 ± 0.21 mg GAE/g dw, respectively. Microbiological risk assessment indicated that this product is safe to be consumed as a human food product. e antioxidant activity was higher in the methanolic fraction (23 mg TE/g dw) (DPPH).
Epoxy resin (ER) is an attractive material for metal protection against corrosion; it can form a strongly adhered film onto a metal surface through its multi coordination sites. In this study, an epoxy resin-based formulation was designed, prepared, and applied onto steel surface with and without a pigment. The anticorrosive formulation (ER-MDA-ZP) was prepared from the ER and the hardener 4,4′-methylene dianiline (MDA) in the presence of the anticorrosive pigment zinc phosphate (ZP). A second standard formulation (ER-MDA) was prepared without ZP. The epoxy and the hardener react to form a 3D cross-linked polymeric network with multicoordination sites (hydroxyl and amino groups) for metals. The characterization of the epoxy resin was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H and 31 P NMR). Both samples exhibited excellent thermal properties as they subjected to thermal analysis using differential scanning calorimetry. The ER-MDA-ZP formulation showed a higher glass transition temperature (T g ) than ER-MDA. The coated steel specimens were immersed for 1 h in a 3 wt% NaCl solution and their anticorrosive properties were monitored by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The total resistance (R t ) values obtained by the EIS method for the ER-MDA and ER-MDA-ZP formulations were 21,383 Ω cm 2 and 55,143 Ω cm 2 , respectively. The coated steel samples after the acid treatment were subjected to aging by exposing them to a UV light for 2000 h. The aging caused the R t values to drop to 1621 Ω cm 2 and 7264 Ω cm 2 , respectively. The results indicate the formation of a highly stable film of ER-MDA-ZP formulation on the steel surface that withstands an accelerated corrosive environment of 2000 h exposure to UV light and 1 h of immersion in a 3 wt% NaCl.
Poly(viny1 alcohol) (PVA) was studied for use as a basic material for membrane preparation with the aim of dehydrating water-acetic acid mixtures. Membranes of different nature were made by blending a PVA sample of 96% hydroxyl content with a polyacid or a polybase counterpolymer in water, followed by complete evaporation. The PVA-polybase blends gave membranes of low selectivity, unsuitable for dehydration. The membrane M , , made of a 1 : 1 (by wt.) blend of PVA with a special grade of polyhydroxycarboxylic acid (PHCl), presents a good combination of selectivity and permeability. It was studied in a water-acetic acid mixture containing up to 10 wt.-W of water. The Arrhenius-type activation energy for the permeation was found to be 9,O kcal/mol (38 kJ/mol).
Nickel (Ni) toxicity has been reported to produce biochemical and behavioral dysfunction. The present study was undertaken to examine whether Ni chronic administration can induce alterations of affective and cognitive behavior and oxidative stress in male and female rats. Twenty-four rats, for each gender, divided into control and three test groups (n = 6), were injected intraperitoneally with saline (0.9% NaCl) or NiCl2 (0.25 mg/kg, 0.5 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg) for 8 weeks. After treatment period, animals were tested in the open-field, elevated plus maze tests for anxiety-like behavior, and forced swimming test for depression-like behavior. The Morris Water Maze was used to evaluate the spatial learning and memory. The hippocampus of each animal was taken for biochemical examination. The results showed that Ni administration dose dependently increased anxiety-like behavior in both tests. A significant increase in depression-like symptoms was also exhibited by Ni treated rats. In the Morris Water Maze test, the spatial learning and memory were significantly impaired just in males treated with 1 mg/kg of Ni. With regard to biochemical analysis, activity of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were significantly decreased, while the levels of nitric oxide (NO) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in the hippocampus were significantly increased in the Ni-treated groups. Consequently, chronic Ni administration induced behavioral and biochemical dysfunctions.
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