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The WRINKLED1 (WRI1) transcription factor controls carbon flow in plants through regulating the expression of glycolysis and fatty acid biosynthesis genes. The role of Gossypium hirsutum WRINKLED1 (GhWRI1) in seed-oil accumulation still needs to be explored. Multiple sequence alignment of WRI1 proteins confirmed the presence of two conserved AP2 domains. The amino acid sequence of GhWRI1 exhibited 62% homology with AtWRI1 and phylogenetic analysis showed that GhWRI1 and AtWRI1 originated from common ancestors. Comparison of three dimensional structures of AtWRI1 and GhWRI1 indicated the presence of an altered alpha helix on the C-terminus that harbours spore coat protein domain in A. thaliana and other members of Brassicaceae but Kin17 domain in G.hirsutum. In the present study, we constructed a novel gene cassette containing AtWRI1 driven by seed-specific promoter and Tobacco Etch Virus enhancer. The transgenic plantlets of G. hirsutum exhibited 35% enhancement in seed oil content and nearly 4-fold increase in oil-bodies in seed endosperm. GC-MS analysis exhibited additional fatty acids i.e. lauric acid methyl ester, 1-dodecanol, palmitoleic acid, margaric acid, stearic acid, linolenic acid, methyl 9,10-methylene-octadecanoate, methyl 18-methylnonadecanoate, 13-docosenoic acid methyl ester, methyl 20-methyl-heneicosanoate, lignoceric acid in the transformants. This is an important study highlighting the enhancement of seed oil content in cotton by seed-specific expression of AtWRI1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study successfully synthesized MnWO4@g-C3N4 and CuWO4@g-C3N4 nanocomposites which demonstrated high efficiency and recoverability as a robust catalyst for ODS of model (DBT) and real fuel oil (kerosene and diesel). The manufactured composites were thoroughly characterized using XRD, TGA, FTIR, SEM and EDX confirming its physicochemical properties. The SEM results revealed that MnWO4 and CuWO4 nanoparticles were well organized on the exterior of g-C3N4 forming interesting spherical particle morphology. Under optimized conditions, the nanocomposites MnWO4@g-C3N4 and CuWO4@g-C3N4 exhibited an impressive 98 and 98.5% removal of DBT, respectively from the model fuel (100 mg/L) within 180 min at a temperature of 45 °C using 1 mL of oxidant and 0.1 g of catalyst amount. Furthermore, the catalytic activity of composites was investigated for real fuel desulfurization and promising results were achieved. Moreover, the fuel properties were in accordance with ASTM specifications. The study found that the desulfurization reaction followed the pseudo 1st order kinetic models and the negative ∆G indicated a spontaneous method. The nanocomposites exhibited promising reusability as it could be used up to five times without significantly reducing their ability to desulfurize fuel oil. The study highlights its potential for practical applications in reducing sulfur content in fuel oils contributing to cleaner and environment friendly energy production and utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the composition and antibacterial activity of essential oil from the flower of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis were determined. The extraction was carried out utilizing the microwave-assisted extraction technique with a short extraction time of 60 min, yielding 0.342% (w/w). Separation and characterization were performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis, identifying a total of 34 constituents, including major compounds: phenyl ethyl alcohol (26.1%), eucarvone (18.7%), furfural (10.7%), benzaldehyde (4.8%), phytol (4.7%), and methyl hexadecanoate (3.1%). In the next step, an agar disk diffusion assay was performed to assess the antimicrobial activity of the oil against four different bacterial strains, namely Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, resulting in zones of inhibition measuring 9, 12, 11, and 9 mm, respectively. However, the broth macrodilution method was carried out against Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, revealing minimum inhibitory concentrations of 2.5 and 5 mg/mL, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This research aimed to explore the influence of nutritional adjustments and storage stability on a functional, reduced‐calorie guava jam incorporating Aloe vera. Over two months, comprehensive analysis assessed physicochemical properties, sensory traits, microbial stability, and shelf‐life. The addition of Aloe vera gel resulted in significant improvements in pH (3.00 to 3.65), total soluble solids (40.10 to 42.20°Brix), antioxidant activity (36.85% to 81.09%), moisture content (29.48% to 38.82%), water activity (0.78 to 0.84), ash content (0.29% to 0.45%), fat content (0.14% to 0.19%), fibre content (1.05% to 1.86%), and the colour values. Moreover, b* scores for colour indication improved from 15.09 to 18.86. Texture attributes of cohesiveness and firmness improved significantly. Sensory evaluation favoured the T2 variant (20% Aloe vera gel), suggesting it as the optimal formulation. Furthermore, artificial neural networks (ANNs), a technique of machine learning, were utilised to predict guava jam behaviour, with 99% accuracy. The study discovered substantial changes in pH, total soluble solids, antioxidant activity, moisture content, and textural qualities, indicating that Aloe vera supplementation could improve guava jam quality and shelf‐life. The results of ANN predictions about antioxidants and cohesiveness provide information about the product's performance during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Withania coagulans Dunal is a significant medicinal plant as its fruit is used to treat numerous ailments. In this study, volatile oil of fruit of Withania coagulans was extracted by microwave associated hydro-distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry that resulted in the successful identification of 40 constituents where the most dominating ones were: caprylic acid (28.58%), caproic acid (16.88%), capric acid (12.21%), lauric acid (5.77%), palmitic acid (3.49%), eugenol (3.96%) and varamol (2.95%). The fruit was found to be a major source of fatty acids (71.91%). Moreover, the anti-bacterial activity of the oil against various drug-resistant microbes demonstrated its potential against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (21 mm), Enterococcus faecalis (11 mm) and Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (10 mm) at a dose level of 0.48 mg. Most of these constituents are well known bioactive agents. These results demonstrate the potential of this oil as a natural source of obtaining various fatty acids and a possible remedy against various microbial diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-based cellulose owing to its biocompatibility, slow in vivo degradability, chemical modifiability, mechanical properties and low cost of production represents an attractive biomaterial for tissue engineering applications. This study aimed at synthesizing probe-sonicated cellulose (PSC), followed by functionalization via bone-conditioned medium (BCM) and examining the in silico binding affinity of protein-based active components of BCM with cellulose subunits. Furthermore, the in vitro bioactivity i.e., cell proliferation, viability and mineralization of the BCM-treated PSC were also investigated. Cotton cellulose (CC) was first treated with sulfuric acid and subjected to probe sonication to reduce the reaction time, fiber length and enhance the surface roughness for improved surface adsorption potential. BCM was prepared by conditioning the serum-free media with pre-osteoblasts. Then, PSC was exposed to BCM. The successful functionalization of PSC was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Molecular docking and molecular simulation results confirmed the high binding affinity of active components of BCM including bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) with cellulose subunits. Biochemical analysis demonstrated favorable biocompatibility and non-toxicity of BCM-functionalized PSC which promoted the proliferation, viability and mineralization of pre-osteoblast cells. These promising results suggest that BCM-functionalized PSC can be explored as a potential candidate for providing a conducive environment for cells as well as scaffolding in bone tissue engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study comprises the surfactant-based modified adsorbents as inorgano–organo composites for the removal of dyes. It was depicted that 0.05 g of modified clay could be efficiently used to adsorb >90% of dye (100 mg/L). The kinetic models (pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, intraparticle diffusion model) and isothermal models (Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin) were also studied to examine the adsorption mechanism. Pseudo second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isothermal model fitted well with adsorption of dyes. The thermodynamic ( Δ G ° , Δ H ° and Δ S °) parameters were also studied and negative value of ( Δ G °) and positive value of ( Δ S °) indicates the spontaneity of adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Senna occidentalis (Coffee Senna) is a renowned medicinal plant that has traditionally been used to treat fever, worms, snakebites, abscesses, liver disorders, and respiratory infections due to its efficacy in fighting against several disorders. Previously, volatile oils from its leaf and fruit have been investigated for their antimicrobial potential. However, in this study, the volatile composition and antibacterial activity of the stem of Senna occidentalis were reported for the first time. The volatile oil was extracted by microwave-assisted extraction that produced a yield of 0.086%, and a total of 19 compounds were successfully identified that accounted for 97.42% of total oil. Most dominant compounds were methyl salicylate (18.08%), furfural (16.94%), 5-Methylfurfural (13.61%), trans-isoeugenol (11.78%), p-vinyl guaiacol (9.91%) and furfuryl acetate (4.68%). Using the Agar Well diffusion method, this oil was further evaluated for the antibacterial potential against three well-known pathogenic strains, where very promising activity was observed against two strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (27 mm and 26 mm) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (21 mm). Hence, the stem oil of Coffee Senna can be considered a potent source of natural antimicrobial compounds that may also be used for the treatment of various pathogenic diseases caused by these microbes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High dielectric constant carbon nanotubes (CNTs) based polymer composites with enhanced thermal stability are promising materials for energy storage devices because of high breakdown voltage, ease in processing, enhanced flexibility and low cost. In the present work, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) as additive was used along CNTs as filler and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) as matrix to enhance the dispersion of filler in matrix by increasing interfacial interaction between these two. These composites were synthesized by using solution casting method and monitored by FTIR spectroscopy whereas XRD and SEM analyses have been performed to explore the role of APTES in dispersion of CNTs. Significant improvement in the dielectric constant (Dielectric Constant: 40 at 1.6 wt% of CNTs) has been observed on adding small fraction of APTES-CNTs. An impressive increase in thermal stability of the composite was achieved because of APTES. It is noted that weight loss in APTES-CNTs/PMMA composite at 460 °C is less than that of CNTs/PMMA composite at 400 °C. Use of APTES-CNTs appears to be quite encouraging when the obtained values of dielectric constant and results of thermal stability of APTES-CNTs/PMMA are compared with those of pristine CNTs based PMMA (CNTs/PMMA) composites. Mechanism of APTES to control the agglomeration of CNTs in the composite is distinctive and effective in improving the features of composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The versatility of immobilized enzyme systems enables rapid recovery of both product and enzyme, numerous re-uses of enzymes, continuous enzymatic processes, quick reaction termination, and a wider range of bioreactor designs. Immobilized enzymes have been the topic of significant research because of their remarkable functional characteristics such as optimal nature, reusability, and cost-effectiveness. In addition to industrial operations, enzyme immobilization technology is also utilized as component technology in the food industry, biomaterial detection, medical diagnostics, bioenergy, and therapeutics. To demonstrate its important uses, several sorts of biosensors, such as enzyme-based biosensors, enzyme-based thermistors, electrochemical biosensors, optical biosensors, DNA biosensors, immunosensors, magnetic biosensors, and thermal biosensors have been debated here. A flexible and highly functioning enzyme is utilized for analyte identification by oxidizing enzymes such as peroxidases and polyphenol oxidize such as laccases and tyrosinases. These enzymes are therefore regarded as appealing and intriguing compounds for biosensors. New systems of reliable biosensor interfaces have gathered considerable interest in recent years. This study highlights key prospects, the newest technologies and materials utilized to build robust biosensor interfaces. These materials include polymers, nanomaterials and their composites i.e. nanocomposites were used for the designation of biosensors. This review studies recent advances in stability interface solutions for biosensors, which may give researchers some references and novel approaches to further investigate new materials and methodologies in biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three [Fe6‐Ln4] clusters are isolated through N‐methyldiethanolamine (H2mdea) and 3,5‐dinitrobenzoic acid (Hdnbz) acting as ligands together with sodium azide. The X‐ray study demonstrates that these compounds are isostructural formulated as [Fe6Ln4(μ4‐O)2(μ3‐OH)2(mdea)6(dnbz)8(N3)4]·MeCN·aH2O·bCH2Cl2 (where Ln = Tb (1), a = 2, b = 3; Ho (2), a = 2, b = 2; Er (3), a = 1, b = 1). All these compounds are centrosymmetric in structure. The catecholase activity for the clusters (1–3) was also studied in methanol by ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry via 3,5‐di‐tertiarybutyl catechol (3,5‐DTBC) employed as a model substrate for the identification of the compounds as a functional model for metalloenzymes. During this study, the parameters for catecholase activity are estimated as Kcat = 1022.12 (1), 827.76 (2), 562.36 (3) h−1; KM = 0.6858 (1), 0.6467 (2), 0.4872 (3) M; and Vmax = 0.2840 (1), 0.2291 (2), 0.1556 (3) M min−1. In the Fe–4f system, such a type of activity is determined for the first time. The magnetic studies indicate the antiferromagnetic (AF) interactions between the metal centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study encompasses the application of cost effective, organo-modified bentonite material for efficient desulfurization of model oil and real fuel. For the adsorptive desulfurization of oil, dibenzothiophene (DBT) was used as model compound. Various experimental parameters (time, temperature, adsorbent-amount and DBT concentration) were thoroughly investigated. The synthesized material was characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive x-ray (EDX), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The modification exhibits the increase in interlayer spacing of clay as confirmed from XRD and modified material shows interesting morphology as compared to unmodified bentonite. The results showed that > 90% of DBT removal was achieved under optimized conditions for B-BTC, B-BTB and B-DSS and > 80% for B-BEHA, for model fuel oil which are greater than unmodified clay (< 45%). Additionally, the findings from desulfurization of real fuel oil declare that 96.76% and 95.83% removal efficiency was achieved for kerosene and diesel oil respectively, at optimized conditions and fuel properties follow ASTM specifications. The obtained findings well fitted with thermodynamic, isothermal (Langmuir) with adsorption capacity (70.8 (B-BTC), 66 (B-BTB), 61.2 (B-DSS) and 55.2 (B-BEHA) in mg/g) and pseudo-second-order kinetics. In thermodynamic studies, negative sign ( Δ G ∘) specifies the spontaneity whereas, Δ H ∘ endothermic and positive sign (Δ S ∘) show randomness after DBT adsorption onto organoclay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the essential oil composition and antibacterial activity of the resin of Canarium strictum Roxb. was investigated. The oil was extracted by microwave-assisted extraction and analyzed through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry by means of which 35 compounds were successfully identified. A substantial yield of essential oil (1.10%) was obtained from the resin. The most abundant ingredients were (R)-(+)-limonene (59.03%) and 1 R-(+)-α-pinene (24.06%). Antibacterial activity evaluation was performed against five bacterial strains four of which were multidrug-resistant. The oil was found to be active against all the strains. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values in mg/mL were calculated where MIC values were: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (>0.66), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1.33), Klebsiella pneumoniae (5.3), resistant Escherichia coli (>0.66) and non-resistant Escherichia coli (5.3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study covers chemical profiling of leaf essential oil of Plectranthus scutellarioides (L.) R.Br along with the first report on its antibacterial activity. The extraction was performed by microwave assisted hydrodistillation where the yield of essential oil was 0.18%. A total of 28 constituents were separated and identified by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The constituents that occurred in abundance were spathulenol (24.57%), D-germacrene (14.53%), bicyclogermacrene (11.24%), nonacosane (9.74%) and morillol (4.95%). The antibacterial evaluation of essential oil was carried out against 8 different gram negative and positive strains including multidrug-resistant ones with agar well diffusion method and macrodilution method and was found to be active against all strains. The strongest activity (MIC) was found against multidrug resistant strains of Escherichia coli (0.625 mg/mL) and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (2.5 mg/mL) that shows the potential of this essential oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applications of polyphosphazenes are gaining attention in biomedical industry due to their unique characteristics of being easily degradable. This has been achieved by the replacement of chloro groups with appropriate nucleophiles. In our present study, we have synthesized a degradable polyphosphazene by the replacement of chloro groups with 2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethanol having controlled molecular weight. Synthesis of poly[bis((methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)phosphazene] (MEEP) is carried out in two steps. First step involves the synthesis of polydichlorophosphazenes (PDCP) from hexachlorocyclo triphosphazene using AlCl3 as catalyst by ring opening polymerization. In the second step, PDCP chlorines are substituted by 2(2-methoxyethoxyethoxy) moiety. The structure of synthesized MEEP is confirmed by phosphorous-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (31P NMR) and hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). Molecular weight, molar mass distribution and polydispersity index are determined by Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC). In vitro, hydrolytic degradation of the MEEP is carried at 37 °C in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) with neutral, basic and acidic media. Moreover, the experimental data are demonstrated by statistical and graphical methods. The values of the coefficient of determination (R2) were found to be 0.9987, 0.9856 and 0.9359, respectively. The values of the coefficient indicate that the workability of the theoretically fitted models is good. Antibacterial activity of the synthesized polyphosphazene is evaluated against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The potential applications of present study are applicable for biomedical applications such as drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalysis possesses enormous potential to facilitate the removal of environmental pollutants in the environment friendly ways. The nanostructured metal oxides have been found to show promising photocatalytic efficiencies toward organic pollutants. The present study deals with the synthesis of cuprous oxide and cupric oxide nanoparticles and characterization of their physiochemical, and photocatalytic properties using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), and UV-visible spectrometer. The as synthesized products were easily collected and purified and also tested for their photocatalytic activity toward water purification for removal of Congo red dye under sunlight. The impact of various factors on the catalytic efficiency of the synthesized nanoparticles, including catalyst concentration, reaction time, and pH of the solution has also been investigated. Both of these synthesized oxides of copper proved worthy of the said photocatalytic reaction and the results demonstrated an effective photodegradation of the Congo red under sunlight. It was found that Cu2 O possessed higher photodegradation efficiency of 90% as compared to 54% degradation efficiency of CuO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatile oil composition of leaves and fruits of Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) was reported for the first time. Oils were extracted by microwave assisted hydrodistillation where yield of both oils were found to be 0.20% and their GC-MS analyses led to the identification of 65 and 48 constituents, respectively. Major constituents of leaves were carvacrol (11.17%), thymol (6.52%), α-terpinyl acetate (5.92%) and anethole (5.13%) while that of fruits were (E)-isoeugenol (11.48%), furfural (8.25%), p-vinylguaiacol (6.8%) and p-ethylguaiacol (5.72%) that demonstrated a significant difference between composition of its aerial parts, however, 33 constituents were identical that showed similarity characteristics in quality of these oils. Both leaf and fruit oils were found active against pathogenic and drug-resistant microbes: E. coli, Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, Total-drug-resistant P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae with MIC values of 0.32, 0.32, 0.64, 0.64, 2.56 mg/mL and 0.16, 0.16, 0.32, 0.64, 1.28 mg/mL, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of polymer-based polyphosphazene is increasing in biomedical industry due to their degradable nature, and their specific role can further be tailored by substituting the chloro groups in the linear precursor with suitable nucleophiles. In this study, we aimed to synthesize a novel degradable polymer based on polyphosphazene by derivatizing the linear poly(dichlorophosphazene) precursor with diethyl amine and 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethanol. The structure of the synthesized polymer, poly[bis(2(2-methoxyethoxyethoxy diethylamino)phosphazene] (PMEEDEAP) was elucidated with 1H NMR and 31P NMR. The molar mass distribution and molecular weight of the synthesized polymers were assessed by employing GPC. The hydrolytic degradation, in vitro, of the polymer was carried out in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) with pH ~ 7.0 and at 37 °C. The polymer showed a weight loss of 95% in 5 weeks. Current studies showed that the synthesized degradable polymer may further be subjected to in vivo studies and employed as a potential candidate for biomedical applications, i.e., controlled-drug delivery and tissue engineering. In addition, the experimental data were analyzed by graphical and statistical methods, and it was found that the weight loss of PMEEDEAP is linear function of time, i.e., w t = - 1 × 10 - 3 t hr + 1.068. The value of the coefficient of determination (R2) is found to be 0.978, which indicates that the workability of the model is good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study illustrates the extraction of fluoride (F−) and chloride (Cl−) from non-combustible inorganic iron ore matrix by employing steam distillation (SD)-based volatilization process followed by ion chromatographic (IC) determination. This cost-effective, simple and green sample preparation setup involved decomposition of sample matrix in H2SO4 for the extraction of volatile halides at 165–180 °C that were subsequently collected in a 100-mL receiving bottle having 0.2 M NaOH as absorption solution. After 15–20 min of absorption, the distillate was injected to the IC system for the isocratic separation and determination of both halides in complex inorganic iron ore sample (IOS). The developed method showed good linearity in the concentration range of 0.02–10 µg/mL with a correlation coefficient (R) greater than ≥ 0.9999. It also showed good accuracy (82.20–87.87%), precision (RSDs ≤ 3.71) and excellent limit of detection (LOD) ranged between 0.0003 and 0.0006 µg/mL with no matrix effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water contamination is a worldwide critical issue for the present society to avoid competition and maintain an environmentally friendly scenario. Removal of various pollutants including inorganic and organic compounds from water is a big challenge nowadays. Worldwide attention to promote polluted water and technologies related to its treatment has been adversely increased. The utilization of metal/metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) for this purpose has gained much attention due to its exceptional properties imparted by reduced size and effective surface area. Moreover, metal/metal oxide NPs-based innovation for improved expulsion productivity is an ingenious area for research and development but the use of such NPs presents some serious risks. Herein, the advanced requisition of NPs for polluted water treatment is highlighted along with the difficulties related to them and their toxic impacts when used as water purifiers. Additionally, the plausible fate of metal/metal oxide NPs incorporated in the water for purification and salient future challenges are deliberated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatile oil composition of the bark of Clerodendrum serratum (L.) was reported. Oil was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed through GC-MS. 48 Constituents were successfully identified that accounted for 93.35 % of the total composition. The most abundant constituents found in the bark were linoleic acid (20.1 %), α-zingiberene (10.3 %) o-cymene (9.3 %), palmitic acid, (9.0 %), oleic acid (7.0 %), and β-sesquiphellandrene (5.3 %). Moreover, antibacterial activity of oil was evaluated against four different pathogenic strains namely Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli (E. coli), Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and Proteus spp. The results of antibacterial activity demonstrated that the activity of oil follows the principle of dose-dependency. The zone of inhibition at the maximum dose of 200 μL were 38 mm for Proteus spp., 34 mm for E. coli, 31 mm for MRSA and 30 mm for MSSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this review, various methods of preparation of activated carbon from agricultural and commercial waste material are reviewed. In addition, we also discuss various activation treatments using a comparative approach. The data are organised in tabulated form for ease of comparative study. A review of numerous characterisation techniques is also provided. The effect of time and temperature, activation conditions, carbonisation conditions and impregnation ratios are explained and several physical and chemical activation treatments of raw materials and their impact on the micro- and mesoporous volumes and surface area are discussed. Lastly, a review of adsorption mechanisms of activated carbon (AC) is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A convenient, cost effective and environmentally benign methodology has been developed, which delivered fourteen new 1-acyl-4-benzhyrdyl substituted pyrazole derivatives under solvent free conditions. Target compounds were synthesized in good to excellent yields simply by grinding reactants in a pestle and mortar with catalytic amount of conc. H2SO4. All the newly formed compounds were fully characterized with the help of detailed spectroscopic techniques including FTIR, NMR and GC-MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morinda morindoidesis an important Liberian traditional medicine for the treatment of malaria, fever, worms etc. The plant was subjected to integrated approaches including phytochemical screening and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analyses. Phytochemical investigation of the powdered plant revealed the presence of phenolics, tannins, flavonoids, saponins, terpenes, steroidal compounds and volatile oil. Steam distillation followed by GC–MS resulted in the identification of 47 volatiles in its aerial parts: 28 were in common including various bioactive volatiles. Major constituents of leaves were phytol (43.63%), palmitic acid (8.55%) and geranyl linalool (6.95%) and stem were palmitic acid (14.95%), eicosane (9.67%) and phytol (9.31%), and hence, a significant difference in the percentage composition of aerial parts was observed. To study seasonal changes, similarity analysis was carried out by calculating correlation coefficient (r) and vector angle cosine (z) that were more than 0.91 for stem-to-stem and leaf-to-leaf batches indicating considerable consistency. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the present study, microwave treatedSalvadoraoleoides (MW-SO) has been investigated as a potential biosorbent for the removal of toxic methyl violet dye. A batch adsorption method was experimented for biosorptive removal of toxic methyl violet dye from the aqueous solution. The effect of various operating variables, viz., adsorbent dosage, pH, contact time and temperature on the removal of the dye was studied and it was found that nearly 99% removal of the dye was possible under optimum conditions. Kinetic study revealed that a pseudo-second-order mechanism was predominant and the overall process of the dye adsorption involved more than one step. Hence, in order to investigate the rate determining step, intra-particle diffusion model was applied. Adsorption equilibrium study was made by analyzing Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin–Radushkevich (D–R) adsorption isotherm models and the biosorption data was found to be best represented by the Langmuir model. The biosorption efficiency of MW-SO was also compared with unmodified material, Salvadora oleoides (SO). It was found that the sorption capacity (qmax) increased from 58.5 mg/g to 219.7 mg/g on MW treatment. Determination of thermodynamic parameters such as free energy change (ΔG°), enthalpy change (ΔH°) and entropy change (ΔS°) confirmed the spontaneous, endothermic and feasible nature of the adsorption process. The preparation of MW-SO did not require any additional chemical treatment and a high percentage removal of methyl violet dye was obtained in much lesser time. Thus, it is in agreement with the principles of green chemistry. The results of the present research work suggest that MW-SO can be used as an environmentally friendly and economical alternative biosorbent for the removal of methyl violet dye from aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study was designed to develop a sensitive and reliable RP-HPLC method for the separation of aerial parts ofJologbo. Different extraction methods were used and compared to obtain the maximum number of constituents. Different chromatographic conditions were optimized to achieve optimum separation. A total of 98 peaks were obtained in the optimized separation method. Seasonal variation and difference in chemical composition among aerial parts of the plant were evaluated. Significant difference in the chemical composition was observed and statistical data processing supported the results. The correlation coefficient and vector cosine were calculated by chemometric analysis to evaluate peak retention times, peak areas, and peak heights between various batches (using selected peaks) which showed good repeatability. Gallic and protocatechuic acids were identified from the plant and their intra-day and inter-day repeatability values were calculated and convincing results were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate environmental effect on cultural materials, Fourier transform infrared technique (FTIR/ATR) was applied to analyze the silk aging process. Changes in chemical and conformational structures of silk fabric undergoing ultraviolet induced degradation were investigated. The IR spectra provided strong bands of photosensitive amide I, II, and III. For overlapping amide III region, both of the original and second-derivative IR spectra revealed that UV irradiation induced the structural transformation from β-sheet domain to β-turn conformation, which was supported by the increase of β-turn marker band at 1015 cm−1 associated with polyglycine. Additionally the reduced bands associated with (GlyAla)n segment at 1000 and 976 cm−1, and the decreased band at 1070 cm−1 related to β-sheet structure also illustrated the conformational transition. Furthermore, we applied a chemometric method of principal component analysis for the evaluation of silk degradation based on variations in amide I spectral region. The score plot using the first two principal components effectively summarized the general trend of silk-aging and revealed the quick degradation appeared in the initial stages (12 h and 24 h) and the 108-hr stage. This work provides a potential novel application of the infrared spectroscopy in noninvasive qualitative and quantitative investigation of silk degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, sensitive, and reliable HPLC method was developed for the overall separation of different chemical constituents present in the rhizome of Polygonum bistorta. The extraction conditions including soaking, sonication for 30 minutes, and heating for one hour were selected to achieve complete extraction. Different chromatographic conditions such as mobile phase composition and pH were studied and compared in the Reversed Phase separation mode to acquire fingerprinting profiles. 30 distinct peaks were obtained and 3 phenolic acids (gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, and chlorogenic acid) with anticancer bioactivity were identified by comparing their retention times with reference marker compounds in the optimized method. The excellent repeatability was tested by calculating relative standard deviations (RSDs) for retention times and peak areas and resultant values were less than 0.5% and 1.2%, respectively, for these respective compounds. This method can be used for quality assessment and further identification, quantification, and purification of the important bioactive constituents present in the rhizome of Polygonum bistorta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

n ion exchange-reversed-phase two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) system was developed based on a newly designed interface. The interface was constructed by alternately connecting tandem columns to one of the parallel separation columns to increase the separation efficiency. Separation on the tandem column does not affect the switching frequency; the valve switching could be maintained at high frequency. The constructed interface could be used in both ambient and elevated temperature modes. Under high-temperature mode, only the tandem column was heated, which simplified the operation, decreased the backpressure, improved the solvent compatibility, and speeded up the separation. Tryptic digestion of four proteins was used to evaluate the performance of the developed system. The peak capacity of the 2D-LC system reached 650 under ambient conditions and 890 under high temperature conditions. When compared with the traditional parallel column interface constructed in this paper, the new interface produced a 60% higher peak capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]