Search results for "Minerals"
showing 10 items of 247 documents
Mineral Profile of Children’s Fast Food Menu Samples
2017
Abstract Children’s fast food menus, including hamburgers served with french fries, dessert, and a soft drink, were analyzed to obtain the mineral profile of trace elements. The developed analytical methodology involved sample digestion under pressure inside a microwave oven with a mixture of HNO3 and H2O2 and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. The method was validated by carrying out the analysis of certified reference materials (NIST 1570a spinach leaves, NCS ZC73016 chicken, and NIST 1568a rice flour) and using recovery experiments. Repeatability was verified by analyzing replicate samples. Twenty-six elements were studied, 12 of which—aluminum, barium, calcium, co…
Ochrobactrum sp. MPV1 from a dump of roasted pyrites can be exploited as bacterial catalyst for the biogenesis of selenium and tellurium nanoparticles
2017
Bacteria have developed different mechanisms for the transformation of metalloid oxyanions to non-toxic chemical forms. A number of bacterial isolates so far obtained in axenic culture has shown the ability to bioreduce selenite and tellurite to the elemental state in different conditions along with the formation of nanoparticles—both inside and outside the cells—characterized by a variety of morphological features. This reductive process can be considered of major importance for two reasons: firstly, toxic and soluble (i.e. bioavailable) compounds such as selenite and tellurite are converted to a less toxic chemical forms (i.e. zero valent state); secondly, chalcogen nanoparticles have att…
Effects of in-office bleaching on human enamel and dentin. Morphological and mineral changes
2017
Abstract Background The effects of HP-based products upon dental enamel and dentin are inconclusive. Aim To evaluate changes in micromorphology and composition of calcium (Ca) and phosphate (P) in enamel and dentin after the application of 37.5% hydrogen peroxide (HP) and 35% carbamide peroxide (CP) Methods Crowns of 20 human teeth were divided in two halves. One half was used as control specimen and the other as experimental specimen. The control specimens were kept in artificial saliva, and the experimental specimens were divided into four groups (n = 5 each): group 1 (enamel HP for 45 min); group 2 (dentin HP for 45 min); group 3 (enamel CP for 90 min); and group 4 (dentin CP for 90 min)…
Chemical characterization of a variety of cold-pressed gourmet oils available on the Brazilian market
2018
Different specialty extra virgin oils, produced by cold-pressing fruits/nuts (olive, pequi, palm, avocado, coconut, macadamia and Brazil nut) and seeds (grapeseed and canola), and retailed in the Brazilian region of Minas Gerais, were chemically characterized. Specifically, for each type of oil, the fatty acid composition was elucidated by GC-FID, the contents of selected polyphenols and squalene were determined respectively by UHPLC-MS and UHPLC-PDA, whereas minerals were explored by means of ICP-MS. Olive oil was confirmed to have the highest MUFA content due to a valuable level of oleic acid, while oils from grapeseed, Brazil nut and canola were marked by nutritionally important PUFA lev…
The shell of the invasive bivalve species Dreissena polymorpha: biochemical, elemental and textural Investigations.
2016
28 pages; International audience; The zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha is a well-established invasive model organism. Although extensively used in environmental sciences, virtually nothing is known of the molecular process of its shell calcification. By describing the microstructure, geochemistry and biochemistry/proteomics of the shell, the present study aims at promoting this species as a model organism in biomineralization studies, in order to establish a bridge with ecotoxicology, while sketching evolutionary conclusions. The shell of D. polymorpha exhibits the classical crossed-lamellar/complex crossed lamellar combination found in several heterodont bivalves, in addition to an extern…
Nutritional characterization of Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata D.): Effect of variety (Ariel vs. Pluto) and farming type (conventional vs. orga…
2019
Farming systems and cultivar types are two of the main factors able to affect the nutritional quality of plant foods for human nutrition. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the impact of two unexplored variety (namely Ariel and Pluto) and farming type (conventional and organic) on physicochemical parameters, chemical and mineral composition, water- and fat-soluble vitamins, amino acid profile and antioxidant bioactive components of butternut squashes (Cucurbita moschata). In order to achieve this purpose, a multivariate statistical discrimination of the different parameters was carried out using the unsupervised principle component analysis (PCA). The most important differences…
Past, Present and Future Perspectives on Halloysite Clay Minerals
2020
Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), clay minerals belonging to the kaolin groups, are emerging nanomaterials which have attracted the attention of the scientific community due to their interesting features, such as low-cost, availability and biocompatibility. In addition, their large surface area and tubular structure have led to HNTs’ application in different industrial purposes. This review reports a comprehensive overview of the historical background of HNT utilization in the last 20 years. In particular it will focus on the functionalization of the surfaces, both supramolecular and covalent, following applications in several fields, including biomedicine, environmental science and catalysis.
Proximate Composition and Nutritional Value of Three Macroalgae: Ascophyllum nodosum, Fucus vesiculosus and Bifurcaria bifurcata
2017
Proximate composition (moisture, protein, lipid and ash content) and nutritional value (fatty acid, amino acid and mineral profile) of three macroalgae (Ascophyllum nodosum, Fucus vesiculosus and Bifurcaria bifurcate) were studied. Chemical composition was significantly (p < 0.001) different among the three seaweeds. In this regard, the B. bifurcata presented the highest fat content (6.54% of dry matter); whereas, F. vesiculosus showed the highest protein level (12.99% dry matter). Regarding fatty acid content, the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were the most abundant followed by saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). On the other hand, the three seawe…
Effectiveness of microwave based digestion procedures for the demineralization of human milk and infant formulas prior to fluorometric determination …
1996
The use of two types of microwave oven, one domestic (A) and the other specially designed for laboratory (B) for microwave-based digestion, to destroy the organic matter in milk and infant formulas prior to fluorometric determination of selenium is studied in order to check their applicability and reliability. In both systems the best results were obtained using the acid mixture HNO3—H2O2, and additional treatment with perchloric acid (60%) in a Thermoblock. The application of two different microwave-based digestion procedures to infant formulas was free of interferences. In the case of human milk, it was necessary to use the standard addition method. Values obtained for detection and quant…
Retention of Vanadium(V), Molybdenum(VI) and Tungsten(VI) by Kaolin
1993
Abstract The ability of kaolin (approximately H2Al2Si2O8 · H2O), a well known clay mineral constituent, to retain V(V) andMo(VI) species from 10−5 and 10−4 M solutions, and W(VI) species from 10−4 M solutions was investigated in the pH range 2–7.5 using a solid/liquid ratio 1:100 (w:v). The equilibration time in the adsorption studies was 72 h, and the shaking time in the desorption studies was 17 h. 0.02 M KCl was used as ionic medium and desorbing liquid. V(V), Mo(VI) and W(VI) were all retained by kaolin to some extent, and the amounts of the elements which could be washed away from kaolin with 0.02 M KCl were very small. The pH dependence of the adsorption was considerable: when added a…