The effect of chain branching on glycolipid thermotropic and lyotropic phases was investigated for a series of synthetic β-D-glucosides derived from Guerbet alcohols, whose total hydrocarbon chain length ranged from C 8 to C 24 . The compounds, which can be viewed as isosteric mimics for glycoglycerolipids, were synthesised in high purity and their liquid crystalline phases were studied using optical polarising microscopy (OPM), and small-angle X-ray diffraction. When dry, the shortest compound (total C 8 ) exhibits a monotropic L α phase while longer ones (C 16 and C 20 ) adopt inverse hexagonal H II phases. The C 24 compound forms an ordered lamellar phase at room temperature, but exhibits a metastable H II phase upon cooling. Curiously the intermediate chain length homologue (C 12 ) adopts an isotropic inverse micellar (L 2 ) phase in the dry state over the range of temperatures studied. Upon hydration, the C 8 compound dissolves, and the C 12 compound forms a fluid lamellar L α phase. The C 16 Guerbet glucoside (i.e. β-Glc-C 10 C 6 ) exhibits an inverse bicontinuous cubic phase of space group Ia3d in excess water, never previously observed in branched-chain lipids, and very seldom observed in excess water. The C 20 compound remains in the H II phase upon hydrating, with the lattice parameter swelling substantially.

Hylocereus undatus foliage is believed to contain antioxidants similar to its peel. Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity on the Hylocereus undatus pulps and peels; however, similar studies on its foliage have yet to be investigated. In this study, Hylocereus undatus foliage and peels were extracted using two different solvents namely; chloroform and methanol through Folin-Ciocalteu method and Diphenyl-1-Ipicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay for TPC and antioxidant activity, respectively. As for TPC, results revealed that the peels gave higher TPC in both methanol (48.15 mg GAE/100g extract) and chloroform (18.89 mg GAE/100g extract) extractions than foliage (30.3 mg GAE/100g extract and 5.92 mg GAE/100g extract, respectively). However, when a comparison was made between foliage and peels in terms of its scavenging effects in DPPH assay, the peels contained more antioxidants (18.71%) than foliage (38.3%) in the chloroform solvent extracts. This study shows that Hylocereus undatus foliage has a similar antioxidant activity as its peels and is potentially a natural antioxidant in food applications.

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The phase behaviour and self-assembly structural parameters of a pair of monosaccharide and disaccharide Guerbet branched-chain β-D-glycosides, namely 2-octyldodecyl β-D-glucoside (β-Glc-C12C8) and 2-octyldodecyl β-D-maltoside (β-Mal-C12C8), have been studied by means of optical polarizing microscopy (OPM) and small-angle X-ray diffraction at room temperature (25°C). These compounds are sugar-based glycolipid surfactants having a total chain length of C20, and differ based on the increasing number of hydroxyl groups of the sugar headgroup (glucose and maltose). The repeat spacings obtained by X-ray diffraction as a function of water content have been used to determine the limiting hydration for the two glycosides. At room temperature, β-Glc-C12C8 and β-Mal-C12C8 have limiting hydrations of 22 wt% and 25 wt%, corresponding to 8 10 and 10 12 water molecules per glycoside, respectively. At all water contents between 5 and 29 wt % water, these compounds adopt inverse hexagonal (HII) or fluid lamellar (Lα) phases. The structural parameters of these phases have been determined from the diffraction data, from the X-ray repeat spacings, densities and concentration of the glycosides.