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This study presents the synthesis of a sensitive AKBA-Based fluorescent “Turn off” chemosensor for rapid detection of abamectin residues in tomatoes. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by using 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (β-AKBA) by chemical reduction method. The characterization of AKBA-AgNPs was performed by UV–vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The average particle size of NPs was found to be 46.2 ± 2 nm with lumps of macro-sized particles. TEM data further revealed that nanoparticles were polydispersed and spherical in shape and also show good stability at high temperatures and pH. The biosensing properties of nanoparticles were studied for the detection of abamectin residues in tomato samples. Abamectin a natural product derived from the bacterium Streptomyces avermitilis is effective against a wide range of pests. In sensing protocol 67 organic tomato samples were segregated into 34 (safe group, without a spray of abamectin) and 33 samples (as an unsafe group, sprayed with abamectin insecticide solution). Emission spectra of these sample solutions were measured in the wavelength range of 450–530 nm, excitation wavelength was fixed at 488 nm. The effect of minor wavelength variation for the discrimination and classification of the two groups was investigated by applying two chemometric methods including partial least square discriminant analysis and principal component analysis with projection. The mechanism of its interaction between the AKBA-Ag NPs and abamectin residue was also established through UV/visible, FTIR, and TEM microscopy. This newly synthesized nanoparticle was found to have excellent stability at variables, i.e., temperature, storage period, salt concentration, and pH. Therefore, the synthesized Ag NPs are potential candidates for biosensing applications against abamectin.

Background: Stress is among the most common comorbid conditions with epilepsy and a strong factor in the pathophysiology of seizures. An imbalance in neuronal circuits causes recurrent unprovoked seizures in epilepsy. Dysregulation of BDNF/VEGF expression, oxidative stress, increased levels of neuroinflammatory cytokines, and increased expression of apoptotic genes contribute to the underlying cause of the seizure. Objectives: Chrysophanol, an anthraquinone, has broad-spectrum therapeutic potential. This study evaluated the neuroprotective effect of chrysophanol with underlying pathways in PTZ-induced epilepsy with stress as a comorbid condition. Methods: Male mice were given 35 mg/kg of PTZ every other day to induce seizures. In addition, they were exposed to 120 min of daily restraint stress for 21 days to induce stress. Chrysophanol (0.1, 1, 10 mg/kg) was administered to the mice 30 min before the PTZ in the acute study. The most effective dose (10 mg/kg) was proceeded for the chronic epilepsy model. Following this, various tests were conducted, including behavioral assessments for memory impairment and stress, analysis of antioxidant levels, histopathological and immunohistochemistry examinations, measurement of cortisol levels using ELISA, and gene expression analysis using RT-PCR. Results: Chrysophanol demonstrated a notable decrease in both the intensity and frequency of seizures. Additionally, it effectively boosted the levels of important antioxidants such as GSH, GST, and CAT, while simultaneously reducing the levels of MDA and Nitric oxide. The histopathological analysis also showed improvement in overall morphology and survival of neurons. Chrysophanol treatment effectively showed an increase in the expression of BCL-2, and Nrf-2 with a decrease in BAX expression confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Dysregulation of vascular permeability factor, production of inflammatory cytokines, and apoptotic gene expression was successfully reversed after chrysophanol treatment analyzed through RT-PCR. Cortisol concentration was decreased in treatment groups analyzed through Enzyme-linked immunoassay. Molecular docking of chrysophanol with different proteins declared the binding affinity of the ligands with the target sites of proteins. Conclusion: In conclusion, chrysophanol demonstrated remarkable neuroprotective and antiepileptic effects at a dose of 10 mg/kg in stress-exacerbated PTZ-induced epilepsy following the TLR4/NFκB -Nrf2/HO-1 and BDNF/VEGF pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-thermal plasma as an emergent technology has received considerable attention for its wide range of applications in agriculture, material synthesis, and the biomedical field due to its low cost and portability. It has promising antimicrobial properties, making it a powerful tool for bacterial decontamination. However, traditional techniques for producing non-thermal plasma frequently rely on radiofrequency (RF) devices, despite their effectiveness, are intricate and expensive. This study focuses on generating Ar-O2 capacitively coupled plasma under vacuum conditions, utilizing a low-frequency alternating current (AC) power supply, to evaluate the system's antimicrobial efficacy. A single Langmuir probe diagnostic was used to assess the key plasma parameters such as electron density (ne), electron temperature (Te), and electron energy distribution function (EEDF). Experimental results showed that ne increases (7 × 1015 m−3 to 1.5 × 1016 m−3) with a rise in pressure and AC power. Similarly, the EEDF modified into a bi-Maxwellian distribution with an increase in AC power, showing a higher population of low-energy electrons at higher power. Finally, the generated plasma was tested for antimicrobial treatment of Xanthomonas campestris pv. Vesicatoria. It is noted that the plasma generated by the AC power supply, at a pressure of 0.5 mbar and power of 400 W for 180 s, has 75% killing efficiency. This promising result highlights the capability of the suggested approach, which may be a budget-friendly and effective technique for eliminating microbes with promising applications in agriculture, biomedicine, and food processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity threatens human civilization because of rapid industrialization's damage to freshwater sources. Pollutants like dyes, which are frequently found in the paper, leather, food, plastics, textile, and cosmetics industries, must be removed to preserve water. In the present study, Zinc oxide nanocomposites impregnated with nickel (Ni/ZnO) were prepared using a wet impregnation technique. These novel materials were investigated for their ability to photocatalytically degrade malachite green (MG) under the irradiation of visible. The synthesized nanocomposite catalyst was characterized by various analytical techniques, including SEM, EDX, XRD, and BET methods of surface analysis, and revealed a high surface area of 192.88 m²g-1 with an average size range from 88-354 nm. EDX results showed efficient doping of Ni (28.9%). The composites were then used under the influence of a visible light source to degrade MG dye. The investigation also assessed the degradation of MG using a photo-Fenton reagent. Factors such as catalyst dosage, H2O2 levels, pH, and duration were optimized to understand their impact in both degradation studies. The synthesized catalyst showed stunning photocatalytic activities, as 99.4% of the 60 µg.ml-1 of MG was degraded in 40 min with 100 mg of Ni/ZnO at pH 8. Ni/ZnO had a good application prospect for MG degrading and can be used as a potential photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]