Study of Stability, Cytotoxic and Antimicrobial Activity of Chios Mastic Gum Fractions (Neutral, Acidic) after Encapsulation in Liposomes.

Mastic gum is a resinous sap produced by growing in the island of Chios (Greece) and has been recognized since Antiquity for its distinctive aroma as well as medical properties (antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory ones). The oral absorption of Chios Mastic gum (an insoluble polymer of poly-β-myrcene is among the most abundant contents) is poor due to its low water-solubility. We report in this study, two different Chios mastic gum extracts, the acidic mastic gum extract-AMGE-and the neutral one-NMGE, both prepared after removal of the contained polymer in order to ameliorate solubility and enhance in vivo activity.

A rapid HPLC method for the determination of lactoferrin in milk of various species.

This Research Communication describes the adaptation and testing of an RP-HPLC method, previously tested for the determination of lactoferrin (LF) in whey, for its applicability to determine milk lactoferrin content. Milk samples of various species, namely, ovine, caprine, bovine, donkey and human milk, were tested. The advantage of this RP-HPLC method includes speed and convenience, as it does not include extensive pretreatment or separation steps.

Evaluation of the suitability of low hazard surfactants for the separation of phenols and carotenoids from red-flesh orange juice and olive mill wastewater using cloud point extraction.

Natural antioxidants derived from plant sources attract considerable scientific interest. While classic extraction methods consume high volumes of toxic organic solvents, cloud point extraction requires surfactant not exceeding 15% of the waste volume. In preliminary tests, the suitability of various low hazard surfactants (Span 20, PEG 400, Tween 80 and 20) was explored for separation of phenols and carotenoids from olive mill wastewater and red-flesh orange juice.

Determination of antimicrobial activity and resistance to oxidation of moringa peregrina seed oil.

The antimicrobial activity of the oil extracted with n-hexane from the seeds of Moringa peregrina was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Candida albicans, C. tropicalis and C.

Removal of polyphenols from wine sludge using cloud point extraction.

Cloud point extraction (CPE), a promising and simple technique for the separation of organic compounds using surfactants (Genapol X-080 [oligoethylene glycol monoalkyl ether] and PEG 8000 [polyethylene glycol with molecular weight of 8000]), was used to recover polyphenols from wine sludge (wine production waste). The effect of various parameters such as surfactant concentration, temperature, and pH on the percentage of phenol recovery and phase volume ratio during phenol separation from wine sludge was investigated, and the derived optimum parameters were used as the basis for the selection of CPE conditions. When a two-step CPE with a total of 4% v/v of Genapol X-080 (pH = 3.