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Abstract This work was designed to compare the effectiveness of in-situ coagulation and MIEX as pre-treatments prior to ultrafiltration (UF) to improve organic matter (OM) removal and mitigate membrane fouling. Three kinds of OMs, i.e. salicylic acid (SA), humic acid (HA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were employed. The experimental results show that coagulation-UF led to most effective removal of HA (almost 90%), while the SA was uncoagulated and least removable, with the rejection rate of about 55%. Conversely, MIEX present superior ability for removing SA, contributing to additional efficiency of 71.95–77.21% than UF alone. Proper dosage of Al-based coagulants could alleviate flux loss, especially in the cases of HA and BSA. Increasing coagulant dose resulted in continuous decrement of irreversible resistance (R ir), which dominated the membrane fouling development by the SA water. For HA and BSA waters, alternatively, variations of R r determined the flux declines. Floc compact degree was the decisive factor for R r for coagulated SA; while for HA and BSA, R r was most related to the floc size and foulant-foulant interaction. MIEX was most effective for alleviating flux loss when treating the hydrophilic SA with small molecules and for all the cases, MIEX exerted little influence on the R r values. Graphical abstract Schematic diagram of the coagulation/MIEX-ultrafiltration hybrid test setup. Image 1 Highlights • Coagulation improved removal rate and UF flux more significantly for HA and BSA. • MIEX is preferable to coagulation combined with UF when treating hydrophilic SA. • R r and R ir determined UF fluxes by coagulated HA/BSA and SA, respectively. • Coagulation reduced R ir by promoting floc growth and restraining pore blockage. • MIEX imposed slighter effect on particle size and fouling resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cassiae Semen, belonging to the family Leguminosae, is derived from the dry mature seeds of Cassia obtusifolia L. or Cassia tora L. and has long been used as a laxative, hepatoprotective, improve eyesight, and antidiabetic complications medicine or functional food in Asia. This review summarizes the integrated research progress of botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, and quality control of Cassiae Semen. Additionally, the emerging challenges and possible developing directions are discussed as well. The information on Cassiae Semen was collected from published scientific materials, including ancient books of traditional Chinese Medicine; Ph.D. and M. Sc. dissertations; monographs on medicinal plants; pharmacopoeia of various countries and electronic databases, such as PubMed, Web of Science, ACS, Science Direct, J-STAGE, Springer link, Taylor, CNKI and Google Scholar, etc. First, the traditional uses and plant origins of Cassiae Semen are outlined. Secondly, approximately 137 compounds, including anthraquinones, naphthopyranones, naphthalenes, flavones, polysaccharides and other compounds, have been isolated and identified from Cassia obtusifolia L. and Cassia tora L. Third, the pharmacological activities and mechanisms of crude extract of Cassiae Semen and its main bioactive compounds are summarized. Moreover, the processing, toxicity, and quality control are introduced briefly. Cassiae Semen is a frequently used Chinese Materia Medica with pharmacological effects that mainly affect the digestive system, cardiovascular systems and nervous system. This review summarized its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology, it also exhibited recent scientific research advances and gaps, which provide a deeper insight into the understanding and application of Cassiae Semen. In future research on Cassiae Semen, more attention should be given to the pharmacological activities of naphthopyranones and polysaccharides and the mechanism of action for improving eye diseases. Meanwhile, it is essential to focus on strengthening the study on the pharmacokinetics research and the safety evaluation of related health products research. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharbitidis Semen (the seeds of Ipomoea nil (L.) Roth or Ipomoea purpurea (L.) Roth), a popular traditional Chinese medicine, is also known as "Heichou" or "Baichou" (Chinese: 黑丑, 白丑). It can purge the bowels, promote diuresis, remove stagnated accumulation, and kill worms. It can be used for treating anasarca with constipation and oliguria; dyspnea and cough caused by retained fluid; abdominal pain because of intestinal parasitosis; ascariasis; and taeniasis. This review discusses the botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, toxicology, and quality control of Pharbitidis Semen, to obtain a complete understanding of its effects and provide a basis for further research and the development of new drugs. The literature on Pharbitidis Semen is mainly obtained from pharmacopoeias of different countries, masterpieces of traditional Chinese medicine, Master's and Ph.D. theses, and published articles obtained from literature retrieval websites, such as CNKI, PubMed, SciFinder, WanFang data, Web of Science, Springer, ScienceDirect, Wiley, ACS Publications, Taylor & Francis, J-STAGE, and Google Scholar. Its botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, toxicology, and quality control are discussed to understand its effects and provide a basis for further research. Pharbitidis semen has been used ethnomedically in many tropical and subtropical countries as deobstruents, diuretics, and anthelmintics. About 170 chemical compounds, including terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, resin glycosides, fatty acids and other compounds, have been isolated. It has been reported to have different effects, including laxative, renal-protective, neuroprotective, insecticidal, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant. Moreover, a brief introduction to processing, toxicity, and quality control is provided. The traditional efficacy of Pharbitidis Semen in diarrhea has been confirmed, but its bioactive and toxic ingredients are not entirely clear. It is necessary to strengthen the research and identification of effective parts or natural active components of Pharbitidis Semen, clarify the molecular mechanism of its toxicity and change rule of endogenous substances to make Pharbitidis Semen better used in clinical practice. Additionally, the imperfect quality standard is also a challenge that must be solved urgently. The study of modern pharmacology has broadened the application of Pharbitidis Semen and provided ideas for better utilization of this resource. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lacustrine rift basins in Eastern China possess large amounts of petroleum, especially the shale gas and tight sand gas in deep formations, where "sweet spots" are closely related to organic-rich shale intervals. However, the OM enrichment of deep formation shale in lacustrine rift basins and the main controlling factors have not been well-researched in previous studies. The organic matter (OM) enrichment is mainly controlled by the OM input, preservation, and/or dilution. The shales deposited in deep formations of Songliao Basin, including the Jurassic Huoshiling (J 3 h), Cretaceous Shahezi (K 1 sh), and Yingcheng (K 1 yc) formations, are evaluated as fair to excellent source rocks. Taking the shales as an example, the characters and impact of input, preservation, and dilution on OM enrichment in shales are discussed by utilizing the parameters of element concentrations and biomarkers. Results show that the OM sources are mixed sources of aquatic microorganisms and higher plant materials, and the higher plant materials are dominant. The bio-productivity were moderate to high. The paleoclimate was mainly the cold and semi-humid to semi-arid. The lake salinity was fresh-to brackish-water. The redox conditions were sub-reducing to sub-oxidizing. The dilution degree in Yingcheng was the strongest, followed by the Shahezi and Huoshiling. Consequently, the OM enrichment in the J 3 h shale was called moderate bio-productivity and preservation model; the OM enrichment in the K 1 sh shale was called high bio-productivity and preservation model; the OM enrichment in the K 1 yc shale was named high dilution model. This study not only improves the model of OM enrichment but also provide some information for the research of "Deep time" in the Cretaceous of Songliao Basin, guiding the prediction of organic-rich shale distribution in lacustrine rift basin. • Fair to excellent hydrocarbon generation potential. • Organic matter origins are mainly a mixture of aquatic microorganisms and terrestrial higher plants. • Arid and cold paleoclimate and fresh- and brackish-water. • Reducing to sub-reducing, sub-reducing to oxidizing, and sub-reducing to sub-oxidizing conditions. • Moderate bio-productivity and preservation model, high bio-productivity and preservation model, high dilution model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]