Coloration in Flow: The Potential of Coloration of Casein Fibers to Mitigate Environmental Impact of Traditional Dyeing Methods.

The environmental impact of the textiles and food industries can no longer be ignored, and while combining natural protein-based fibers with natural colorants, each derived from food waste, has the potential to offer increased sustainability based on a circular economy, it fails to address other environmentally detrimental textile production steps, such as coloration. This work explores the potential of a new, novel method for coloration of regenerated protein fibers using an anthocyanin-based natural dye, used within the wet-spinning process, to reduce the environmental impact of the dyeing process. It is observed that similar or improved dye sorption and much improved 3D sustainability metrics (energy and material intensity) can be achieved through dyeing of casein fibers in flow, with higher color strength (/ = 2.

Chemo- and regio-selective enzymatic lipophilisation of rutin, and physicochemical and antioxidant properties of rutin ester derivatives.

Enzymes are one of the most powerful tools in organic Green Chemistry and enzymatic reactions offer numerous advantages like regio- and enantio-selectivity along with their eco-friendly and sustainable nature. More specifically, lipases can catalyse both ester hydrolysis and formation depending on the nature of the substrate and water content. Herein, the focus is on the development of an enzymatically catalysed lipophilisation of natural compounds using lipases of microbial origin and the investigation of the optimal reaction conditions, aiming ultimately to ameliorate the compounds' properties.

Zinc oxide-induced changes to sunscreen ingredient efficacy and toxicity under UV irradiation.

Sunscreen safety and efficacy is generally evaluated based upon the properties of the individual chemicals in a formulation. However, the photostability of sunscreens has been shown to be highly dependent on the mixture of chemicals present. To better understand how sunscreen formulation influences stability, and to establish a foundation for probing the influence of zinc oxide additives, we formulated five different small-molecule based ultraviolet-filter (UV-filter) mixtures with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15.

Enhancing the Potential Exploitation of Food Waste: Extraction, Purification, and Characterization of Renewable Specialty Chemicals from Blackcurrants ( Ribes nigrum L.).

Natural colorants were extracted from renewable botanical sources, specifically waste epicarp from the blackcurrant fruit pressing industry. A process was developed which used acidified water extraction followed by a solid-phase extraction (SPE) purification stage which allowed the production of an anthocyanin-rich extract in good yields (ca. 2% w/ w based on dry weight of raw material).

Selective enzymatic lipophilization of anthocyanin glucosides from blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) skin extract and characterization of esterified anthocyanins.

Anthocyanins (ANC) are hydrophilic and water-soluble polyphenolic plant pigments. The current barriers to successful application of ANC in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries are predominantly related to performance, stability, formulation properties, and color. Enzymatic acylation of ANC could increase their stability without compromising bioactivity and chromatic features.

Application of Anthocyanins from Blackcurrant ( Ribes nigrum L.) Fruit Waste as Renewable Hair Dyes.

There is much concern about the toxicological effects of synthetic hair dyes. As an alternative approach, renewable waste blackcurrant ( Ribes nigrum L.) fruit skins from the fruit pressing industry were extracted using acidified water with a solid-phase purification stage.

Acute metabolic actions of the major polyphenols in chamomile: an in vitro mechanistic study on their potential to attenuate postprandial hyperglycaemia.

Transient hyperglycaemia is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and endothelial dysfunction, especially in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. Nutritional interventions and strategies for controlling postprandial overshoot of blood sugars are considered key in preventing progress to the disease state. We have identified apigenin-7-O-glucoside, apigenin, and (Z) and (E)-2-hydroxy-4-methoxycinnamic acid glucosides as the active (poly)phenols in Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) able to modulate carbohydrate digestion and absorption in vitro as assessed by inhibition of α-amylase and maltase activities.

Enrichment of cellulose acetate nanofibre assemblies for therapeutic delivery of l-tryptophan.

The essential amino acid l-tryptophan is naturally present in the body, and is also available as a water soluble dietary supplement. The feasibility of preparing enriched cellulose acetate (CA)-based fibres as a vehicle for therapeutic delivery of such biomolecules was investigated. A new ternary solvent system consisting of acetone: N,N-dimethylacetamide: methanol (2:1:2) has been demonstrated to permit the solution blending of CA with the water soluble l-tryptophan.

Substitution of PFAS chemistry in outdoor apparel and the impact on repellency performance.

Intensifying legislation and increased research on the toxicological and persistent nature of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have recently influenced the direction of liquid repellent chemistry use; environmental, social, and sustainability responsibilities are at the crux. Without PFAS chemistry, it is challenging to meet current textile industry liquid repellency requirements, which is a highly desirable property, particularly in outdoor apparel where the technology helps to provide the wearer with essential protection from adverse environmental conditions. Herein, complexities between required functionality, legislation and sustainability within outdoor apparel are discussed, and fundamental technical performance of commercially available long-chain (C8) PFASs, shorter-chain (C6) PFASs, and non-fluorinated repellent chemistries finishes are evaluated comparatively.

Mild extraction methods using aqueous glucose solution for the analysis of natural dyes in textile artefacts dyed with Dyer's madder (Rubia tinctorum L.).

Madder (Rubia tinctorum L.) has been widely used as a red dye throughout history. Acid-sensitive colorants present in madder, such as glycosides (lucidin primeveroside, ruberythric acid, galiosin) and sensitive aglycons (lucidin), are degraded in the textile back extraction process; in previous literature these sensitive molecules are either absent or present in only low concentrations due to the use of acid in typical textile back extraction processes.

Selective electrochemiluminescent sensing of saccharides using boronic acid-modified coreactant.

We report a strategy for modulating the electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) response by integrating a boronic acid to the chemical structure of coreactants. Excellent selectivity for d-glucose was achieved by tuning the linker length of a bis-boronic acid amine coreactant.

Isolation and extraction of ruberythric acid from Rubia tinctorum L. and crystal structure elucidation.

Madder (Rubia tinctorum L.) has been exploited as a dye throughout history. The roots of the plant are very rich in the highly coloured glycosidic compounds ruberythric acid and lucidin primeveroside, alongside the corresponding aglycons which can be readily formed by deglycosylation, particularly during extraction.

Monoclonal antibodies directed to fucoidan preparations from brown algae.

Cell walls of the brown algae contain a diverse range of polysaccharides with useful bioactivities. The precise structures of the sulfated fucan/fucoidan group of polysaccharides and their roles in generating cell wall architectures and cell properties are not known in detail. Four rat monoclonal antibodies, BAM1 to BAM4, directed to sulfated fucan preparations, have been generated and used to dissect the heterogeneity of brown algal cell wall polysaccharides.

Solid-phase asymmetric synthesis using a polymer-supported chiral Evans'-type oxazolidin-2-one.

This protocol describes the synthesis of (S)-4-(4-hydroxybenzyl)-oxazolidin-2-one, its attachment to a Merrifield-Cl resin and its use for asymmetric synthesis. The chiral auxiliary is prepared in four steps from N-Boc-L-tyrosine on a multigram scale in high yield and attached to Merrifield-Cl resin via its phenolic group to afford a solid-supported chiral auxiliary for asymmetric synthesis that takes ∼7 d to prepare. A procedure for its N-acylation is reported and a method for carrying out diastereoselective solid-supported Evans' syn-aldol reactions is described, with aldol products being cleaved from the polymer by either hydrolysis or reduction.

Isolation and extraction of lucidin primeveroside from Rubia tinctorum L. and crystal structure elucidation.

Madder (Rubia tinctorum L.) has been used as a dye for over 2000 years with alizarin and purpurin the major natural dyes analysed from extractions undertaken. The use of ethanol as the solvent in the extraction process produced an extract that yielded four anthraquinone compounds lucidin primeveroside, ruberythric acid, alizarin and lucidin-ω-ethyl ether.

Optimizing the colour and fabric of targets for the control of the tsetse fly Glossina fuscipes fuscipes.

Background: Most cases of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) start with a bite from one of the subspecies of Glossina fuscipes. Tsetse use a range of olfactory and visual stimuli to locate their hosts and this response can be exploited to lure tsetse to insecticide-treated targets thereby reducing transmission. To provide a rational basis for cost-effective designs of target, we undertook studies to identify the optimal target colour.

Analysis of crystallinity changes in cellulose II polymers using carbohydrate-binding modules.

Carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) are a set of tools that can be used as molecular probes for studying plant cell walls and cellulose-based substrates. CBMs from enzymes of bacterial and fungal origin present a range of recognition capabilities for crystalline and amorphous cellulose. Here cellulose-directed CBMs have been used to visualize and quantify crystallinity changes in cellulose II-based polymers following NaOH treatment.

Comparative analysis of crystallinity changes in cellulose I polymers using ATR-FTIR, X-ray diffraction, and carbohydrate-binding module probes.

Cotton fiber cellulose is highly crystalline and oriented; when native cellulose (cellulose I) is treated with certain alkali concentrations, intermolecular hydrogen bonds are broken and Na-cellulose I is formed. At higher alkali concentrations Na-cellulose II forms, wherein intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonds are broken, ultimately resulting in cellulose II polymers. Crystallinity changes in cotton fibers were observed and assigned using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) subsequent to sodium hydroxide treatment and compared with an in situ protein-binding methodology using cellulose-directed carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs).

In situ analysis of cell wall polymers associated with phloem fibre cells in stems of hemp, Cannabis sativa L.

A study of stem anatomy and the sclerenchyma fibre cells associated with the phloem tissues of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) plants is of interest for both understanding the formation of secondary cell walls and for the enhancement of fibre utility as industrial fibres and textiles. Using a range of molecular probes for cell wall polysaccharides we have surveyed the presence of cell wall components in stems of hemp in conjunction with an anatomical survey of stem and phloem fibre development.

Sorption of chlorhexidine on cellulose: mechanism of binding and molecular recognition.

Chlorhexidine (CH) is an effective antimicrobial agent. There has been very little work published concerning the interactions of CH with, and its adsorption mechanism on, cellulose. In this paper, such physical chemistry parameters are examined and related to computational chemistry studies.

Sorption of poly(hexamethylenebiguanide) on cellulose: mechanism of binding and molecular recognition.

Antimicrobial agents such as poly(hexamethylene biguanide) (PHMB) find application in medical, apparel, and household textile sectors; although it is understood that certain concentrations need to be applied to achieve suitable performance, there has been very little work published concerning the interactions of the polymer and its adsorption mechanism on cellulose. In this paper, such physical chemistry parameters are examined and related to computational chemistry studies. Adsorption isotherms were constructed: at low concentrations, these were typical Langmuir isotherms; at higher concentrations, they were more indicative of Freundlich isotherms, attributed to a combination of electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding forces, which endorsed computational chemistry proposals.