60 research outputs found
Lignin nanoparticles from hydrotropic fractionation of giant reed and eucalypt: Structural elucidation and antibacterial properties
No full text: A hydrotropic solution of maleic acid (MA) was exploited to fractionate giant reed (AD) and eucalypt (EUC). The pre-treatment was successful for AD, while it was unsatisfactory for EUC, likely due to unoptimized reaction conditions. Interestingly, lignin nanoparticles (LNP) were produced via spontaneous aggregation following spent liquor dilution. LNP were studied by a plethora of analytical techniques, such as thermogravimetry, electron microscopy, and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Notwithstanding LNP from both AD and EUC showed similar thermal behaviour and morphology, a greater content of aliphatic hydroxyl, carboxyl, guaiacyl and p-hydroxyphenyl moieties was reported for AD-LNP, whereas EUC-LNP had a larger amount of syringyl groups and a higher S/G ratio. Also, the 1H-DOSY NMR indicated the lower size of AD-LNP. Moreover, the LNP were found to negatively impact on the development of several human or plant pathogens, and their bioactivity was related to the occurrence of guaiacyl and p-hydroxyphenyl moieties and a lower the LNP size. We therefore found that MA delignification allows both to achieve high delignification efficiency and to obtain LNP with promising antibacterial effect. Such LNP may help counteracting the antibiotics resistance and sustain the quest for finding sustainable agrochemicals
Fra utilitas e salubritas: esempi maltesi di bonifiche con anfore
No full textThis study examines for the first time tree cases of inverted amphorae used like soils improvement under floors of domus in Melite at the Roman times. The finality of inverted amphorae is once again recognized, based on studies' experiences of authior, througt analysis of lithological soils characters. In the first book of this Collection (Itinera ,1, 1996) the author offered some technical factors for analysis of the possible function of this biulding method and now, using the same method, i.e. with regard to the natural state of land, their statis lift, etc., has been possible to understand the aim of amphorae structures in Roman age
Valorization of organic biomass through the production of active biopolymer film based on sodium caseinate, guar gum, and beeswax
No full textExploring the boundaries between theory and practice in Fashion Design at IUAV University of Venice : the case of U/U/U/
No full textStill today, in Italy, fashion design finds it difficult to relate to the dimension of university research, and this is perhaps the consequence of a lack of familiarity with
the academic world: only rarely has fashion been taught in universities and it is not considered an autonomous academic discipline. Since its foundation in 2005, the
BA programme in Fashion Design at IUAV University of Venice has been actively combining its design workshops with an attitude towards research in the field of
fashion studies, with innovative work being carried out specifically in the field of teaching methodologies: students are asked to constantly question and discuss teaching practices and techniques – which tend to be taken for granted – as well as the concept of authorship in design. This approach – quite unique in the Italian academic field – is presented in this article through a discussion of a project originated by designer Mariavittoria Sargentini, founder and owner of the brand Marvielab, and course leader of the first-year Fashion Design Workshop at IUAV. Together with her students, Sargentini started a new collection called U/U/U/, which stands for ‘unconstrained, unisex, uniform’, after asking a group of students to redefine the concept of the daily uniform through their own interpretations. The result is a capsule collection, made of twelve looks, as the expression of a collective author. Thus, Sargentini’s U/U/U/ reflects an idea of fashion design that defies current concepts of authorship, and that questions our concept of the basic/daily uniform through an active design practice that fuses theory and object-based observations
Possible Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Decrease in the Antibacterial Activity of Protamine-like Proteins after Exposure of Mytilus galloprovincialis to Chromium and Mercury
No full textNatural bioactive compounds represent a new frontier of antimicrobial molecules, and the marine ecosystem represents a new challenge in this regard. In the present work, we evaluated the possibility of changes in the antibacterial activity of protamine-like (PL) proteins, the major nuclear basic protein components of Mytilus galloprovincialis sperm chromatin, after the exposure of mussels to subtoxic doses of chromium (VI) (1, 10, and 100 nM) and mercury (1, 10, and 100 pM) HgCl2, since these metals affect some properties of PL. After exposure, we analyzed the electrophoretic pattern of PLs by both acetic acid-urea polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (AU-PAGE) and SDS-PAGE and determined the MIC and MBC of these proteins on different gram+ and gram- bacteria. PLs, particularly after mussels were exposed to the highest doses of chromium and mercury, showed significantly reduced antibacterial activity. Just at the highest doses of exposure to the two metals, changes were found in the electrophoretic pattern of PLs, suggesting that there were conformational changes in these proteins, which were confirmed by the fluorescence measurements of PLs. These results provide the first evidence of a reduction in the antibacterial activity of these proteins following the exposure of mussels to these metals. Based on the results, hypothetical molecular mechanisms that could explain the decrease in the antibacterial activity of PLs are discussed
Bioactivity of two different humic materials and their combination on plants growth as a function of their molecular properties
No full textShort-Term Effects of Wood Biochar on Soil Fertility, Heterotrophic Respiration and Organic Matter Composition
No full textBiochar may represent a sustainable and eco-friendly strategy to recycle agro-
forestry wastes, sequester carbon and improve soil health. With the aim of proving these
benefi ts in a real scenario, we treated several soil parcels with 0 (CTRL), 1 (LOW) and
3 (HIGH) kg/m
2
of wood biochar, in open-fi eld trials. The heterotrophic soil respiration
(SR) was monitored continuously for two months via a Closed Dynamic Chamber (CDC)
associated with an innovative pilot system, and the most important soil chemical parame-
ters were measured 9 and 54 days after biochar application. Biochar induced an immediate
dose-dependent increase in organic matter content and CEC (up to 41.6% and 36.8% more
than CTRL, respectively), which tended to slightly and gradually decrease after 54 days. In
all cases, biochar induced a more pronounced SR, although the most enhanced microbial
response was detected for the LOW parcel (19.3% higher than CTRL). Fennels were grown
in treated soils and only LOW microplots gave a signifi cantly better response (weight
and size). Finally, NMR, FT-IR and Pyr-GC/MS analyses of LOW SOM extracts revealed
a relevant impact on the composition, which was accompanied by a higher content of
carbohydrates, indole-based compounds and FAME species correlating with enhanced
microbial activity. Our fi ndings demonstrate that the proper biochar dose improves soil
fertility by creating an environment favorable to plants and promoting microbial activity
The molecular composition of humic substances extracted from green composts and their potential for soil remediation
No full textAntibacterial and antioxidant properties of humic substances from composted agricultural biomasses
No full textBackground: Bioactive components isolated from composted agricultural biomasses have been receiving progressive attention, because they may improve the antibiotic susceptibility of drug resistant bacterial strains. Here, three different humic substances (HS) were isolated from composted artichoke (HS-CYN) and pepper (HS-PEP) wastes, and from coffee grounds (HS-COF), and characterized by infrared spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy, thermochemolysis–GC/MS, and high-performance size-exclusion chromatography. The antibacterial activity of HS was evaluated against some pathogenic bacterial strains, while their bioactivity was determined by a germination assay on basil (Red–Violet variety) seeds. Results: HS-CYN and HS-PEP exhibited the largest antioxidant activity and most significant antimicrobial capacity against some gram-positive bacterial strains, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. The same HS determined a significant increase of both root and epicotyls in seed germination experiments. The bioactivity of HS was related not only to their specific molecular composition but also to the conformational stability of their suprastructures. Specifically, the greatest bioactive and antimicrobial properties were related to the largest abundance of hydrophobic aromatic and phenolic components and to a more rigid conformational arrangement, that, in turn, appeared to be related to a small fragmentation degree of lignin structures. Conclusions: Our results showed that extraction of bioactive HS from green composts may be a sustainable and eco-compatible way to valorise agricultural byproducts. HS may be indeed exploited as substrates to produce novel materials not only to improve plant productivity but also for medical applications. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.
Novel Nanomaterials Made of Humic Substances from Green Composts and Chitosan Exerting Antibacterial Activity
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