Chemical Modification of Cassava Starch by Transesterification Using Vegetable Oil/Aluminum Chloride

Chemical modification of cassava starch by transesterification of a vegetable oil(palm kernel oil)using aluminum chloride as a Lewis acid catalyst was achieved under relatively mild conditions(temperature 60–110°C;atmospheric pressure).The reaction was carried out without any additional solvent.The modified starch was characterized by degree of substitution(DS),FTIR,X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis.DS of 0.09 to 0.53 were obtained.The cassava starch presented an X-ray diffraction pattern of a type A starch.X-ray analyses showed that the reaction did not significantly affect the crystallinity of starch.The modified starch films(MStF)adsorbed less water than the reference native starch film(NStF)at all the relative humidities investigated.The MStF were also less soluble in water.The tensile tests showed an increase of the strength and a decrease of the flexibility of MStF compared to the reference NStF.The results showed that this chemical route could be used to increase the water resistance of starch-based materials.

Neuroprotective role of antioxidant and pyranocarboxylic acid derivative against AlCl_(3) induced Alzheimer’s disease in rats

Objective:To assess potential of quercetin and etodolac to treat oxidative stress in neuronal death and inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease of AlCl3 induced rat models.All results of this AlCl_(3)model are compared with those obtained in controls.Methods:Wistar rats,housed in a controlled environment were treated with aluminum chloride(4.2 mg/kg of body weight,i.p.)for 28 d rather than oral to ensure neurotoxic concentration in hippocampus and hypothalamic region,part highly active in memory control and cognition,while control group was injected with saline.Estimation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance,superoxide dismutase,reduced glutathione and acetylcholine levels gave estimation of neuronal damage.Low(20 mg/kg and 25 mg/kg)and high(40 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg)doses of quercetin and etodolac were administered to the test groups respectively.Histopathology study was conducted to perform relative study.Results:Co-administration of quercetin and etodolac either alone or in combination prevented the changes in biochemical markers of Alzheimer’s disease,but significant results(P<0.05)were seen when a combination of two was administered at low dose levels.Good correlation was developed between chemical estimations and histopathology study.Conclusions:Our findings suggest a combined role of anti-oxidant and cyclooxygenase inhibitor in protection of neural degeneration and inflammation due to oxidative stress.