Study: Ethanol may cause more smog, deaths ABC News Apr 18, by Seth Borenstein
WASHINGTON—Switching from gasoline to ethanol touted as a green alternative at the pump may create dirtier air, causing slightly more smog-related deaths, a new study says. Nearly 200 more people would die yearly from respiratory problems if all vehicles in the United States ran on a mostly ethanol fuel blend by 2020, the research concludes. Of course, the study author acknowledges that such a quick and monumental shift to plant-based fuels is next to impossible... “It’s not green in terms of air pollution,” said study author Mark Jacobson, a Stanford University civil and environmental engineering professor. “If you want to use ethanol, fine, but don’t do it based on health grounds. It’s no better than gasoline, apparently slightly worse.” His study, based on a computer model, is published in Wednesday’s online edition of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science and Technology and adds to the messy debate over ethanol.
Organic food test detects false labels ABC Science Online Apr 12, by Anna Salleh
A new test could help identify fraudulently labeled organic food, say British scientists. It’s based on testing the food for signs of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, which are banned in organic farming methods. Alison Bateman of the University of East Anglia in Norwich and colleagues reported their findings in a recent issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. There are a number of food tests designed to pick up residues of synthetic pesticides and herbicides that are not permitted in organic farming. But Bateman and her team are developing a test to see whether foods have been grown using synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, based on testing the foods’ nitrogen isotope composition.
Nitric oxide–releasing polymers studied
United Press International Apr 9
U.S. scientists have created a new group of plastics that might have broad uses in medicine by releasing nitric oxide. The researchers—Joseph Hrabie of the National Cancer Institute and colleagues at Northwestern University—report synthesis of nitric oxide-releasing forms of the most commercially important polyacrylonitrile polymers. The new polymers include a textile, a plastic and a rubber. Hrabie said some of the materials continuously release small amounts of nitric oxide for months allowing the chemical to dilate blood vessels. The scientists believe such technology could be used to reduce undesirable effects such as blood vessel scaring and narrowing that tend to occur after coronary angioplasty and bypass surgery. “Many applications of this chemistry in vascular surgery and other medical procedures can be envisioned,” the researchers said. “Possible applications of these polymers include arterial stenting, bypass grafting and surgical endarterectomy.” The research appeared in the April 4 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
The red-meat miracle, and other tales from the butcher case The New York Times Apr 4, by Harold McGee
In recent months I’ve been marveling at meat’s several shades of red, and at their creation stories... Oxygenated myoglobin is red, but when its structure is changed by heat or by other molecules, it changes color... Because myoglobin exposed to air eventually turns brown, red surfaces on raw meat also signify freshness. Until recently, that is. Two and a half years ago, the word got out that fish processors were treating some tuna sold in the United States with small amounts of carbon monoxide gas to keep it red well past its usual shelf life... A lower-profile additive that some people might see as more palatable is lactate, which is found in all meats as a byproduct of muscle metabolism, and in its acid form is what makes yogurt sour. Lactate has been used in certain meat products since the early 1990s, but until recently it wasn’t clear how it works. A study published last September in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry showed that added lactate revives an enzyme system in the meat itself that constantly regenerates the normal myoglobin pigment and keeps it red. Lactate inhibits bacterial growth, so it also slows spoilage—a possible advantage over carbon monoxide.
New flavonoid synthesis process created
United Press International Apr 4
U.S. chemists have developed a technology for synthesizing flavonoids—antioxidant chemical compounds found in certain fruits, vegetables, teas and wines... Flavonoids, a broad family with more than 2,000 reported compounds, provide many different structures for chemists to investigate. In addition to those with anti-cancer activity, researchers could mimic flavonoids with beneficial properties such as anti-inflammatory, anti-viral or antibiotic. The team’s findings are reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Eat to live: You know fats, now meet oils
United Press InternationalApr 3 by, Julia Watson
You may be planning to ignore all those health warnings and expose yourself to the rays of the sun this coming bronzing season. Not a good idea, but if you do, you may like to know of some new animal research suggesting eating grapeseed oil could protect your sun-exposed skin. At the 233rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Chicago, University of Alabama researchers reported grapeseed oil may work from the inside out to benefit skin. Hairless mice given proanthocyanidins—a substance extracted from grapeseed—had 65 percent fewer skin tumors than mice not given the substance.
Scientists predict nanobattery performance
United Press International Apr 3
Dutch scientists have developed a method of predicting how nanostructuring—the extreme reduction of structure—will affect lithium-ion batteries. A Li-ion battery, as it’s commonly known, is currently the smallest and lightest way to store as much rechargeable electrical energy as possible. However, the batteries are slow to charge and discharge, restricting their suitability for applications such as hybrid and electric vehicles. That sluggish performance has not been well understood. But scientists at the Delft University of Technology, using neutron-diffraction research technology, have developed a method to predict how nanostructures will affect the performance of Li-ion batteries. The research findings recently appeared in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Salting tomato plants The New York Times Mar 27, Section: Science Observatory by Henry Fountain
Stress isn’t good for you. But it could be good for tomatoes, and that, in turn, might be good for you. Riccardo Izzo of the University of Pisa in Italy and colleagues report in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that some varieties of tomatoes grown using diluted seawater (with 10 percent of the salinity) have higher levels of antioxidants than those grown using only freshwater. The researchers suggest that the salt induces oxidative stress in the plants, resulting in the production of more antioxidants. Diluting freshwater with seawater may be help farmers cope with drought in certain parts of the world.
One solid herbicide The New York Times Mar 27 Section: Science Observatory, by Henry Fountain
Gardeners and farmers the world around know about Roundup, the popular herbicide that kills weeds (and just about any other plant). Roundup, known chemically as glyphosate, is applied as a liquid. But if it could be turned into a solid, it might prove useful as an herbicidal paint, perhaps, or some other growth-inhibiting coating. Chemists at Bowling Green State University in Ohio have done just that: They’ve made a version of glyphosate that hardens into an acrylic polymer when exposed to light... Once they had a successful polymer, the researchers tested it and determined that the glyphosate portion of it still worked as an herbicide. Their work is described in the journal Biomacromolecules.
Need more fiber? Try coffee CBS News (via WebMD) Feb. 27
Your coffee may come with a little something extra—and not just cream and sugar. Some of the dietary fiber in coffee beans may make it into your mug, Spanish researchers report. They say coffee has more soluble dietary fiber (the type of fiber that dissolves in water and helps prevent cholesterol from being absorbed by the intestines) than wine or orange juice. Fulgencio Saura-Calixto, Ph.D., and colleagues at the Spanish National Research Council in Madrid brewed instant coffee, espresso, and filtered coffee. They measured how much soluble dietary fiber was in each drink. Instant coffee contained the most—about 1.8 grams of soluble dietary fiber per cup. Espresso had 1.5 grams of soluble dietary fiber per cup, and filtered coffee contained 1.1 grams, the study shows. The report is scheduled for publication in the March 21 edition of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Of bamboo and french fries Science News Feb. 25
Chinese scientists report finding a way to diminish the development of acrylamide—a potential carcinogen—in baked and fried foods: Dip them in an extract of bamboo leaves prior to cooking. It’s the newest of several experimental approaches to limiting acrylamide in foods. Soaking potato pieces in a bamboo extract prior to cooking can limit the development of acrylamide—a potential carcinogen—in french fries... When Zhang’s group learned that other researchers had shown that antioxidants could cut acrylamide production by half or more in some cooked foods, Zhang and his colleagues decided to explore how their bamboo extract stacked up. In the Jan. 24 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, they report that soaking raw potato pieces in a solution containing powdered extract cut by 75 percent the development of acrylamide in french fries and potato chips.
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