Abstract: Induction mutagenesis in lactic acid bacteria for D(?) lactic acid production from starch was performed and the stable mutant strain of Lactobacillus plantarum improved by the molecular biological technique can be used in production of high optically pure D(?) lactic acid directly from various kinds of starch as a carbon source. Those starch substrates are included cassava starch, corn starch and rice starch, etc. The fermentation product is high optically pure D(?) lactic acid up to 90.0-99.0% which is able to apply in bioplastic and pharmaceutical industries.

Abstract: The present disclosure associates to a modified and expressed virus-like particles. Particularly, the virus-like particle is capable of eliciting immune response in a mammal upon administrating a pharmaceutically efficient dosage to the mammal. The virus-like particle comprises a modified form of M and E structural proteins of flavivirus. Further, the virus-like particle comprises an amino acids sequence substantially corresponding to a sequence setting forth in SEQ ID NO. 1, SEQ ID NO. 2, SEQ ID NO. 3 or SEQ ID NO. 4, wherein conserved and internally located His at multiple positions of the M and E proteins are substituted with uncharged residues, and other secretion-enhancing substitutions are introduced.

Abstract: A synthetic process of producing liquid tin(II) alkoxides for use as either catalysts in the synthesis of lactide or as initiators in the polymerization of cyclic ester monomers to yield biodegradable polyesters is described. The synthetic process employs anhydrous tin(II) chloride dissolved in n-heptane mixed with dry diethylamine. Alcohols, ROH, in which the R groups are n-C4H9, n-C6H13, and n-C8H17 are added to the reaction mixture and stirred for 12 hours. The reaction mixture is then filtered under nitrogen or argon before being evaporated to dryness to yield the three tin(II) alkoxides, namely: tin(II) n-butoxide, tin(II) n-hexoxide, and tin(II) n-octoxide. All three tin(II) alkoxides are viscous, dark yellow liquids which are highly soluble in most common organic solvents. Furthermore, they can all be stored under an inert atmosphere for long periods without any significant change in their reactivity and, therefore, in their effectiveness as catalysts/initiators.

Abstract: Various systems and processes for extracting Vitamin E from a fatty acid distillate (FAD) having a Vitamin E component are disclosed. The process includes preparing a mixture of a FAD and a non-polar solvent (e.g., hexane). The mixture can be sequentially cooled to a series of pre-determined temperatures. As the mixture is sequentially cooled to each of the pre-determined temperatures within the series of pre-determined temperatures, non-Vitamin E components present in the FAD can form solid fractions within the mixture at the various pre-determined temperature stages. The process further includes removing the solid fractions from the mixture at each of the pre-determined temperature stages. After completion of a number of cooling and separation stages or cycles, the non-polar solvent can be removed from the remaining mixture to recover a Vitamin E extract.

Abstract: A composition (e.g., phytochemical composition) including sesamin, the composition exhibiting anti-inflammatory, anti-cytokine storm, connective tissue preservation, anti-viral, and/or other properties in biological tissue. The phytochemical composition therapeutically affects a pro-inflammatory cytokine condition, for instance facilitating or effectuating decrease in a quantity of a pro-inflammatory cytokine, for example, interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis-alpha. The phytochemical composition facilitates or effectuates an increase in quantity of an anti-inflammatory cytokines. The phytochemical composition can additionally facilitate a connective tissue extracellular matrix (ECM) preservation effect. The phytochemical composition can also inhibit an action of a viral neuraminidase, for example, the influenza A virus neuraminidase.

Abstract: An antibody specific for a chondroitin sulphate epitope is described, as is a hybridoma cell line which produces such an antibody. The antibody is useful in the diagnosis and treatment of connective tissue diseases, such as arthritis and sarcomas. Test kits and pharmaceutical compositions are also described.

Abstract: A method of producing hybrid plants involves inducing cross-pollination of self-pollinating species by selecting a female plant and a male plant having different genotypes, the female plant having a phenotype of sensitivity to a micronutrient deficiency, and the male plant having a phenotype of male fertility, growing the female plant to sexual maturity in a fertility-selective growth medium deficient for the micronutrient, to produce a plant having female fertility and male sterility, growing the male plant to sexual maturity to produce a plant having high male fertility, cross-pollinating the female plant with pollen from the male plant to produce cross-fertilization with essentially no self-fertilization, raising the female plant to produce hybrid seeds having genetic material from both parents, and harvesting the hybrid seeds.