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The influence of operating parameters (solvent type, powder to solvent ratio and temperature) on the ultrasonically assisted extraction of capsaicinoids from dried Capsicum frutescens (fruit) was studied. From the economic perspective, the suitable condition for capsaicinoid extraction by indirect sonication in an ultrasonic bath with a working frequency of 35 kHz was at a ratio of 1g of solid material: 5 ml of 95% (v/v) ethanol, 45 degrees C, where 85% of the capsaicinoids were removed from the raw material in 3h. In an experimental pilot study in 20-l extraction tank at the fixed ultrasonic frequency of 26 kHz and 70 kHz, the recovery of capsaicinoids was 76% and 70%, respectively. It was shown that the ultrasonic extraction produced a significant reduction in extraction time at a lower operational temperature than under a conventional industrial hot maceration process.

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Bacterial Cellulose (BC) synthesized by Acetobacter xylinum has been a promising candidate for medical applications. Modifying BC to possess the properties needed for specific applications has been reported. In this study, BCs functionalized by organosilanes were hypothesized to improve the attachment and spreading of Normal Human Dermal Fibroblast (NHDF). The BC gels obtained from biosynthesis were dried by either ambient-air drying or freeze drying. The surfaces of those dried BCs were chemically modified by grafting methyl terminated octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) or amine terminated 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to expectedly increase hydrophobic or electrostatic interactions with NHDF cells, respectively. NHDF cells improved their attachment and spreading on the majority of APTES-modified BCs (∼70-80% of area coverage by cells) with more rapid growth (∼2.6-2.8× after incubations from 24 to 48h) than on tissue culture polystyrene (∼2×); while the inverse results (< 5% of area coverage and stationary growth) were observed on the OTS-modified BCs. For organosilane modified BCs, the drying method had no effect on in vitro cell attachment/spreading behaviors.