Kainic acid in the seaweed Palmaria palmata (dulse)
ABSTRACT Twenty samples of the seaweed Palmaria palmata (dulse) purchased mainly from commercial Internet shops on the European market were analysed by a liquid chromatograph coupled with a tandem mass spectrometer method for the content of kainic acid, a naturally occurring neurotoxic compound in P. palmata. Kainic acid levels in the samples ranged widely from trace levels to approximately 560 μg g−1 dry weight.
Evaluation of the anthelmintic properties of a traditional remedy based on a mixture of red algae using an in vitro assay on gastrointestinal nematodes of donkeys
The anthelmintic properties and composition of an Italian traditional anthelmintic remedy based on a red algae mixture (RAE) was assessed using the egg hatch test (EHT). The ability of different dilutions (1.0, 5.0, 50, or 100%) of RAE was determined and compared with the positive and negative controls against gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) of donkeys. The experiment was performed in triplicate. Data were analysed using the ANOVA and Tukey test. In the mixture, Palisada tenerrima, Laurencia intricata and Laurencia spp. red algae were identified. The 100% RAE was able to totally inhibit the egg hatch, showing an efficacy comparable (P < 0.05) to that of the reference drug (98.7%). An egg hatch reduction of 89.5, 43.7, and 23.4% was observed at 50, 5 and 1% dilutions, respectively. In conclusion, RAE was able to inhibit the egg hatch of GIN of donkeys in a concentration-dependent manner with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.968, corroborating with its anthelmintic effect.
Assessment of Ground Regeneration around Borehole Heat Exchangers between Heating Seasons in Cold Climates: A Case Study in Bialystok (NE, Poland)
Based on the experimental studies, the process of ground regeneration around the borehole loaded with brine-water heat pumps working exclusively for heating purposes in the period of four consecutive heating seasons in a cold climate was presented. The research was conducted in north-eastern Poland. The aim of the work is to verify the phenomenon of thermal ground regeneration in the period between heating seasons on the basis of the recorded data and to check whether the ground is able to regenerate itself and at what rate. It was noticed that the ground does not fully regenerate, especially during heating seasons with lower temperatures. In the analyzed period, from 22 September 2016 to 12 October 2020, the ground probably cooled irreversibly by 1.5 °C. In order to illustrate and evaluate the speed of changes in the ground, the one’s profile with an undisturbed temperature field was presented for each month of the year. The presented results can be a very important source of information for the analysis of geothermal conditions occurring in the ground. They can be used to verify mathematical models and conduct long-term simulations that allow us to see the complexity of the processes taking place in the ground.