Polysaccharides from Ulva pertusa (Chlorophyta) and preliminary studies on their antihyperlipidemia activity

Polysaccharides from Ulva pertusa were isolated and prepared by extraction in hot water and precipitation by ethanol. The water-soluble polysaccharides were chemically well defined, containing 47.0% total carbohydrate, 23.2% uronic acids, 17.1% sulfate groups, 1.0% N and 29.9% ash. Gas chromatography analysis demonstrated that the neutral sugars were mainly composed of rhamnose, xylose and glucose and smaller amounts of mannose, galactose and arabinose. The FTIR and C-13-NMR spectra indicated that basic repeating units of the polysaccharides were (beta-D-GlcpA-(1->4)-alpha-L-Rhap 3S) and (alpha-L-IdopA-(1->4)-alpha-L-Rhap 3S). Fifty ICR mice were used to study the effect of water-soluble polysaccharides from Ulva pertusa on the level of plasma lipids, with inositol niacinate as positive control. The results indicated that the polysaccharides significantly lowered the contents of plasma total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride and markedly increased the contents of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, compared with the hyperlipidemia control group (p<0.01). Moreover, administration of polysaccharides significantly decreased the atherogenic index. The present results suggest that the polysaccharides from Ulva pertusa have great potential for preventing ischemic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Fatty acids of some algae from the Bohai Sea

The fatty acid compositions of 22 species of marine macrophytes, belonging to the Ceramiales, Cryptonemiales, Nemalionales, Laminariales, Chordariales, Scytosiphonales, Desmarestiales, Dictyosiphonales, Fucales, Dictyotales and Ulvales and collected from the Bohai Sea, were determined by capillary gas chromatography. The contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids (FAs) in the Bohai Sea algae, in comparison with the same species from the Yellow Sea were found to be lower. Red algae had relatively high levels of the acids 16:0, 18:1(n-7), 18:1(n-9), 20:5(n-3) and 20:4(n-6), and those examined were rich in C-20 PUFAs, these chiefly being arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids. The major FAs encountered in the Phaeophyta were 14:0, 16:0, 18:1(n-9), 18:2(n-6), 18:3(n-3), 18:4(n-3), 20:4(n-6) and 20:5(n-3). C18PUFAs are of greater abundance in the brown algae than in the red algae examined. All three green algae from the Ulvales had similar fatty acid patterns with major components, 16:0, 16:4(n-3), 18:1(n-7), 18:2(n-6), 18:3(n-3), and 18:4(n-3). They contained 16:3(n-3) and more 16:4(n-3), were rich in C18PUFAs, chiefly 18:3(n-3) and 18:4(n-3) and had 18:1(n-7)/18:1 (n-9) ratios higher than 1. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growing season ecosystem respirations and associated component fluxes in two alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau

From 30 June to 24 September in 2003 ecosystem respiration (Re) in two alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau were measured using static chamber- and gas chromatography- (GC) based techniques. Simultaneously, plant removal treatments were set to partition Re into plant autotrophic respiration (Ra) and microbial heterotrophic respiration (Rh). Results indicated that Re had clear diurnal and seasonal variation patterns in both of the meadows. The seasonal variability of Re at both meadow sites was caused mainly by changes in Ra, rather than Rh. Moreover, at the Kobresia humilis meadow site (K_site), Ra and Rh accounted for 54% and 46% of Re, respectively. While at the Potentilla fruticosa scrub meadow (P_site), the counterparts accounted for 61% and 39%, respectively. T test showed that there was significant difference in Re rates between the two meadows (t = 2.387, P = 0.022). However, no significant difference was found in Rh rates, whereas a significant difference was observed in Ra rates between the two meadows. Thus, the difference in Re rate between the two meadows was mainly attributed to plant autotrophic respirations. During the growing season, the two meadows showed relatively low Q(10) values, suggesting that Re, especially Rh was not sensitive to temperature variation in the growing season. Additionally, Re and Rh at the K_site, as well as Rh at the P_site was negatively correlated with soil moisture, indicating that soil moisture would also play an important role in respirations.

塔里木盆地塔中地区寒武-奥陶系烃源岩古地温及成烃演化史研究

The present maturity of Cambrian and Ordovician source rocks in Tazhong area, Tarim basin, is studied using several organic petrology methods and conodont CAI method. The highest palaeotemperature that the Cambrian-Ordovician undergone is revealed by Laser Roman Microprobe (LRM) analysis and by simulating experiment of the kerogen chemical kinetics. In according to all above study, the thermal history of Cambrian and Ordovician is reconstructed based on numerical simulating approaches. The characteristics of secondary hydrocarbon generating are studied by inclusions analysis. The reflectances of the samples in the drills located in Tazhong area show that the maturities of Cambrian source rocks are in the stages of condense oil-dry gas, and that of Ordovician source rocks range from peak of oil generating to wet gas stage. The palaeotemperature data of Cambrian-Orovician source rocks from well Tacan 1, based on LRM analysis, are in coincidence with that from other methods. Also are the palaeotemperature data of Cambrian-Orovician source rocks in well Tacan 1 based on the simulating experiments of kerogen pyrolysis, similar to the homogenization temperatures of inclusions in the source rocks. Aaccording to the vitrinite inflectance data of the TZ12 well and Tacan 1 well, the paleotemperature gradients are analysized and reconstructed. These data show that the paleotemperature gradient in Tazhong area was the highest during Cambrian-Ordovician period, it was up to 3.5°C/100m. Following, the temperature gradient descended gradually and it reached to the lowest at present (2.2°C/100m). The histories of maturation and hydrocarbon generation of Cambrian and Ordovician source rocks in Tazhong area are researched systematically and quantitatively, the results show that periods of oil generation from Cambrian and Ordovician source rocks lasted for a long time from Ordovician to Carbonferious periods because the central Cambrian stratum in the north slope of Tazhong area is buried differently in depth. The top of the Cambrian entered into the peak of oil generation in middle-late Ordovician, and most area of the north slope of Tazhong area entered into the peak of oil generation in Carbonferious period, and on the uplift belt some of source rocks entered into the peak of oil generation in Permian period. In early Devonian, the central of the Lower Ordovician source rocks near the Manjiaer depression reached the peak of oil generation and near the top of the Tazhong uplift did not reached the peak of oil generation until early Cretaceous. The middle-upper Ordovician entered into the peak of oil generation in early-middle Jurassic. The time of the middle-upper Ordovician in the top of the uplift belt entering into the peak of oil generation was delayed, because the source rock was buried shallowly, and it did not reached the peak of oil generation until middle Cretaceous. Middle-upper Ordovician in the top of the north slope has been in the peak of oil generation now, it is consistent with the maturity (1.0-1.2%Ro) of the source rocks. The characteristics of the inclusions formed by kerogens are different from that by crystal-enclosed organic matters(OM) during secondary hydrocarbon generation of Cambrian and Ordovician source rocks. The secondary hydrocarbon generation mainly occurred in Mesozoic-Cenozoic period, in an area of about 9000km2 in the north slope. The intensity of the secondary hydrocarbon generation of Cambrian and Ordovician is up to 21kg/torg and 36kg/torg) respectively. Using the staged gas chromatography, the high-over maturated carbonate source rocks are analysized to release the adsorbed OM, inclusions OM and crystal-enclosed OM, respectively, and to evaluate their relative contributions to secondary hydrocarbon generation. The three periods of oil and gas migration and petroleum pools formation in Tazhong area are determined according to organic inclusions and solid bitumen.

Peak identification for PCDD/Fs in environmental samples at different temperature programs

A method has been developed for peak recognition of 136 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) at different temperature programs. Their retention behaviours are predicted on the basis of an identification database of retention values (A, B) of gas chromatography. By the retention times of C-13 labelled 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDD/F internal standards, the retentions of all PCDDs and PCDFs can be calculated. After comparison with the retentions of practical environmental samples, the predicted values have been proved to be very accurate. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computer-assisted automatic peak recognition and result evaluation for analysis of chlorinated hydrocarbons in environmental samples

A data manipulation method has been developed for automatic peak recognition and result evaluation in the analysis of organic chlorinated hydrocarbons with dual-column gas chromatography. Based on the retention times of two internal standards, pentachlorotoluene and decachlorobiphenyl, the retention times of chlorinated hydrocarbons can be calibrated automatically and accurately. It is very convenient to identify the peaks by comparing the retention times of samples with the calibrated retention times calculated from the relative retention indices of standards. Meanwhile, with a suggested two-step evaluation method the evaluation coefficients and the suitable quantitative results of each component can be automatically achieved for practical samples in an analytical system using two columns with different polarities and two internal standards. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Prediction of GC retention values under various column temperature conditions from temperature programmed data

A numerical approach has been developed for the correlation of retention limes (total retention lime) with temperature in gas chromatography, which allows the calculation of retention parameters including retention index from data acquired under two or more different temperature program conditions. By using this procedure the optimization of temperature condition can be further achieved, especially when a temperature-programmed run is the most suitable mode in the preliminary development of an analytical method for the analysis of an unknown sample.

Ethanol crossover phenomena and its influence on the performance of DEFC

In the present work, Nafion (R) membrane porosity changes were determined in aqueous ethanol solutions with different concentrations by weighing vacuum-dried and ethanol aqueous solution equilibrated membranes at room temperature. The ethanol crossover rate through Nafion (R)-115 membrane at different temperatures and different concentrations had been investigated in a fuel cell test apparatus by using membrane gets higher as ethanol solution gas chromatography analysis. The experimental results show that the swelling degree of Nafion (R) concentration increases. The ethanol crossover rate increases with ethanol concentration and temperature increment. The single direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) tests were carried out to investigate the effect of ethanol concentration on ethanol crossover and consequently, on the open circuit voltage and the cell performance of DEFC. It can be found that ethanol crossover presented a negative effect on the OCV and the cell performance of DEFC. It can also be found that an improved DEFC performance was obtained as temperature increased although the ethanol crossover rate increased with temperature increment. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of organophosphorus pesticides in cucumber and potato by stir bar sorptive extraction

Organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) in vegetables were determined by stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) and capillary gas chromatography with thermionic specific detection (TSD). Hydroxy-terminated polydimethylsioxane (PDMS) prepared by sol-gel method was used as extraction phase. The effects of extraction temperature, salting out, extraction time on extraction efficiency were studied. The detection limits of OPPs in water were <= 1.2 ng/l. This method was also applied to the analysis of OPPs in vegetable samples and matrix effect was studied. Linear ranges of OPPs in vegetable samples were 0.05-50 ng/g with detection limits <= 0. 15 ng/g and the repeatability of the method was less than 20% relative standard deviation. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.