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Repurposing citrus peel waste and its positive effects on our health and communities

Kim et al. | Feb 08, 2021

Repurposing citrus peel waste and its positive effects on our health and communities

Every year, more than 30% of food products go to waste. This is approximately 1.3 billion tons of food, which is equivalent to 1.3 trillion U.S. dollars. While conventional solid waste treatments and fertilization of food waste are common, citrus fruit peels require secondary applications and advanced disposal management due to their low pH values and high antimicrobial characteristics. Since citrus fruits are well-known sources of vitamin C and antioxidants, we hypothesized that their peels also contain high amounts of vitamin C and antioxidants. In our study, five common citrus peels including grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, and tangerine, were used to determine the amounts of vitamin C and total soluble antioxidants.

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Synthesis of a novel CCR1 antagonist for treatment of glioblastoma

Jan et al. | May 05, 2021

Synthesis of a novel CCR1 antagonist for treatment of glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is a brain cancer caused by the presence of a fast-growing, malignant tumor in the brain. As of now, this cancer is universally lethal due to lack of efficacious treatment options. C-C chemokine receptor 1 (CCR1) is a G-protein coupled receptor that controls chemotaxis, the movement of cells in response to chemical stimuli. This research aims to synthesize potential CCR1 antagonists by coupling carboxylic acids with a triazole core. We synthesized these compounds using a simple carboxylic acid coupling and confirmed the identity of the final compounds using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

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Using satellite surface temperature data to monitor urban heat island

Meister et al. | Feb 13, 2026

Using satellite surface temperature data to monitor urban heat island
Image credit: Meister, Horvath, and Brown de Colstoun

This manuscript investigates the urban heat island (UHI) effect by utilizing two satellite datasets: Landsat (high spatial resolution, lower temporal resolution) and MODIS (lower spatial resolution, high temporal resolution). The authors hypothesized that Landsat would provide better spatial detail, while MODIS would better capture temporal variations. Their analysis in the Washington D.C.–Baltimore region supports these hypotheses, demonstrating that Landsat offers finer spatial details, whereas MODIS provides more consistent seasonal patterns and better detects heatwave frequencies.

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In vitro Comparison of Anticancer and Immunomodulatory Activities of Resveratrol and its Oligomers

Zhang et al. | Sep 02, 2020

<em>In vitro</em> Comparison of Anticancer and Immunomodulatory Activities of Resveratrol and its Oligomers

Resveratrol is a type of stillbenoid, a phenolic compound produced in plants, that is known for its anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. Many oligomers of resveratrol have recently been isolated their bioactivities remain unknown. Here, authors compared the bioactivities of resveratrol with natural dimers (ε-viniferin and gnetin H) and trimers (suffruticosol B and C). Results provide preliminary evidence that resveratrol oligomers could be potential preventive or therapeutic agents for cancers and other immune-related diseases

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Efficacy of Mass Spectrometry Versus 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance With Respect to Denaturant Dependent Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange in Protein Studies

Chenna et al. | Jan 22, 2020

Efficacy of Mass Spectrometry Versus 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance With Respect to Denaturant Dependent Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange in Protein Studies

The misfolding of proteins leads to numerous diseases including Akzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Type II Diabetes. Understanding of exactly how proteins fold is crucial for many medical advancements. Chenna and Englander addressed this problem by measuring the rate of hydrogen-deuterium exchange within proteins exposed to deuterium oxide in order to further elucidate the process of protein folding. Here, mass spectrometry was used to measure exchange in Cytochrome c and was compared to archived 1H NMR data.

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The effect of wild orange essential oil on ascorbic acid decay in freshly squeezed orange juice

Sebek et al. | Feb 25, 2022

The effect of wild orange essential oil on ascorbic acid  decay in freshly squeezed orange juice

The goal of this project was to see if the addition of wild orange essential oil to freshly squeezed orange juice would help to slow down the decay of ascorbic acid when exposed to various temperatures, allowing vital nutrients to be maintained and providing a natural alternative to the chemical additives in use in industry today. The authors hypothesized that the addition of wild orange essential oil to freshly squeezed orange juice would slow down the rate of oxidation when exposed to various temperatures, reducing ascorbic acid decay. On average, wild orange EO slowed down ascorbic acid decay in freshly squeezed orange juice by 15% at the three highest temperatures tested.

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The effects of cochineal and Allura Red AC dyes on Escherichia coli and Bacillus coagulans growth

Palmatier et al. | Jun 29, 2025

The effects of cochineal and Allura Red AC dyes on <i>Escherichia coli</i> and <i>Bacillus coagulans</i> growth

Here the authors aimed to compare the effects of artificial Allura Red AC dye and natural cochineal dye on the growth of Escherichia coli and Bacillus coagulans bacteria. Their research found that only Allura Red AC dye significantly affected bacterial growth, specifically amplifying E. coli growth. Based on their results, they suggest that Allura Red AC dye may increase the growth of E. coli bacteria within the human gut.

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