This study aims to fabricate a thin film composite (TFC) membrane, modified with copper-aluminium layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanofillers via interfacial polymerization technique for nanofiltration (NF) processes. It was found that Cu-Al LDH nanofillers possessed layered structured materials with typical hexagonal plate-like shape and positive surface charge. The study revealed that TFN membrane exhibits a relatively smooth surface and a less nodular structure compared to pristine TFC membrane. The contact angle of TFN progressively decreased from 54.1° to 37.25°, indicating enhancement in surface hydrophilicity. Moreover, the incorporation of LDH nanofillers resulted in a less negative membrane as compared to the pristine TFC membrane. The best NF performance was achieved by TFN2 membrane with 0.1° of Cu-Al LDH loading and a water flux of 7.01 Lm-2h-1.bar. The addition of Cu-Al LDH resulted in excellent single salt rejections of Na2SO4 (96.8%), MgCl2 (95.6%), MgSO4 (95.4%), and NaCl (60.8%). The improvement in anti-fouling properties of resultant TFN membranes can be observed from the increments of pure water flux recovery and normalized water flux by 14% and 25% respectively. The findings indicated that Cu-Al LDH is a promising material in tailoring membrane surface properties and fouling resistance. The modification of the LDH-filled TFN membrane shows another alternative to fabricating a high-performance composite membrane, especially for water softening and partial desalination process.
Introduction: Free radicals are reactive oxygen species that constantly circulate through the body and occur as a side effect of many reactions that take place in the human body. Under normal conditions, they are removed from the body by antioxidant processes. If these natural mechanisms are disrupted, radicals accumulate in excess and contribute to the development of many diseases. Methodology: Relevant recent information on oxidative stress, free radicals, reactive oxidative species, and natural and synthetic antioxidants was collected by researching electronic databases such as PubMed / Medline, Web of Science, and Science Direct. Results: According to the analysed studies, this comprehensive review provided a recent update on oxidative stress, free radicals and antioxidants and their impact on the pathophysiology of human diseases. Discussion: To counteract the condition of oxidative stress, synthetic antioxidants must be provided from external sources to supplement the antioxidant defense mechanism internally. Because of their therapeutic potential and natural origin, medicinal plants have been reported as the main source of natural antioxidants phytocompounds. Some non-enzymatic phytocompounds such as flavonoids, polyphenols, and glutathione, along with some vitamins have been reported to possess strong antioxidant activities in vivo and in vitro studies. Thus, the present review describes, in brief, the overview of oxidative stress-directed cellular damage and the unction of dietary antioxidants in the management of different diseases. The therapeutic limitations in correlating the antioxidant activity of foods to human health were also discussed.
Nanotechnology is an innovative area of science that includes the design, characterization, production, and application of materials, devices and systems by controlling shape and size at the nanometer scale (1-100 nm). Nanotechnology incorporation in cosmetic formulation is considered as the hottest and emerging technology available. Cosmetic manufacturers use nanoscale size ingredients to provide better UV protection, deeper skin penetration, long-lasting effects, increased color, finish quality, and many more. Micellar nanoparticles is one of the latest field applied in cosmetic products that becoming trending and widely commercialized in local and international markets. The ability of nanoemulsion system to form small micellar nanoparticles size with high surface area allowing to effectiveness of bioactive component transport onto the skin. Oil in water nanoemulsion is playing a major role as effective formulation in cosmetics such as make-up remover, facial cleanser, anti-aging lotion, sun-screens, and other water-based cosmetic formulations. The objective of this review is to critically discuss the properties, advantageous, and mechanism of micellar nanoparticles formation in nanoemulsion system. Therefore, present article introduce and discuss the specific benefits of nanoemulsion system in forming micellar nanoparticles for cosmetic formulation which become major factors for further development of micellar-based cosmetic segments.
Introduction: Taxus species are used as medicinal plants all over the world. The leaves of Taxus species are sustainable medicinal resources that are rich in taxoids and flavonoids. However, traditional identification methods cannot effectively identify Taxus species on the basis of leaces used as raw medicinal materials, because their appearance and morphological characteristics are almost the same, and the probability of error identification increases in accordance with the subjective consciousness of the experimenter. Moreover, although the leaves of different Taxus species have been widely used, their chemical components are similar and lack systematic comparative research. Such a situation is challenging for quality assessment. Materials and methods: In this study, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry combined with chemometrics was applied for the simultaneous determination of eight taxoids, four flavanols, five flavonols, two dihydroflavones, and five biflavones in the leaves of six Taxus species, namely, T. mairei, T. chinensis, T. yunnanensis, T. wallichiana, T. cuspidata, and T. media. Chemometric methods, including hierarchical cluster analysis, principal component analysis, orthogonal partial least squares-discriminate analysis, random forest iterative modeling, and fisher linear discriminant analysis, were utilized to differentiate and evaluate the six Taxus species. Results: This proposed method exhibited good linearity (R 2 = 0.9999-0.9972) with a lower quantification limits of 0.94-3.05 ng/mL for all analytes. The intra- and inter-day precisions were within 6.83%. Six compounds, namely, 7-xylosyl-10-deacetyltaxol, ginkgetin, rutin, aromadendrin, 10-deacetyl baccatin III, and epigallocatechin, were identified through chemometrics for the first time. These compounds can be used as important chemical markers to distinguish the above six Taxus species rapidly. Conclusion: This study established a method for determination of the leaves of six Taxus species, and revealing the differences in the chemical components of these six Taxus species.
The green synthesis of nanomaterials is of utmost interest as it offers an eco-friendly approach over chemical synthetic routes. However, the reported biosynthesis methods are often time-consuming and require heating or mechanical stirring. The current study reports a facile one-pot biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) mediated by olive fruit extract (OFE) and sunlight irradiation of only 20 s. OFE acts as both a reducing and a capping agent for the formation of OFE-capped AgNPs (AgNPs@OFE). The as-synthesized NPs were systematically characterized by UV-vis spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electrochemical microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and cyclic voltammetry. SEM images confirmed the successful formation of monodispersed spherical AgNPs@OFE of approximately 77 nm. FTIR spectroscopy suggested the involvement of functional groups of phytochemicals from the OFE in the capping and reduction of Ag+ to Ag. The particles revealed excellent colloidal stability as evidenced from the high zeta potential (ZP) value (-40 mV). Interestingly, using the disk diffusion method, AgNPs@OFE revealed higher inhibition efficiency against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Salmonella typhi) than Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus), with Escherichia coli showing the highest inhibition zone of 27 mm. In addition, AgNPs@OFE exhibited maximum potent antioxidant scavenging potential against H2O2, followed by DPPH, O2 -, and OH- free radicals. Overall, OFE can be considered an effective source for the sustainable production of stable AgNPs with potential antioxidant and antibacterial activities for biomedical applications.
Spermidine is a naturally occurring polyamine compound found in semen. It is also found in several plant sources and boasts a remarkable biological profile, particularly with regards to its anticancer properties. Spermidine specifically interferes with the tumour cell cycle, resulting in the inhibition of tumor cell proliferation and suppression of tumor growth. Moreover, it also triggers autophagy by regulating key oncologic pathways. The increased intake of polyamines, such as spermidine, can suppress oncogenesis and slow the growth of tumors due to its role in anticancer immunosurveillance and regulation of polyamine metabolism. Spermidine/spermine N-1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) plays a critical role in polyamine homeostasis and serves as a diagnostic marker in human cancers. Chemically modified derivatives of spermidine hold great potential for prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications against various malignancies. This review discusses in detail the recent findings that support the anticancer mechanisms of spermidine and its molecular physiology.
Nanobiotechnology is a popular branch of science that is gaining interest among scientists and researchers as it allows for the green manufacturing of nanoparticles by employing plants as reducing agents. This method is safe, cheap, reproducible, and eco-friendly. In this study, the therapeutic property of Piper nigrum fruit was mixed with the antibacterial activity of metallic copper to produce copper nanoparticles. The synthesis of copper nanoparticles was indicated by a color change from brown to blue. Physical characterization of Piper nigrum copper nanoparticles (PN-CuNPs) was performed using UV-vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, SEM, EDX, XRD, and Zeta analyzer. PN-CuNPs exhibited potential antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic activities. PN-CuNPs have shown concentration-dependent, enhanced free radical scavenging activity, reaching maximum values of 92%, 90%, and 86% with DPPH, H2O2, and PMA tests, respectively. The antibacterial zone of inhibition of PN-CuNPs was the highest against Staphylococcus aureus (23 mm) and the lowest against Escherichia coli (10 mm). PN-CuNPs showed 80% in vitro cytotoxicity against MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines. Furthermore, more than 50 components of Piper nigrum extract were selected and subjected to in silico molecular docking using the C-Docker protocol in the binding pockets of glutathione reductase, E. coli DNA gyrase topoisomerase II, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine to discover their druggability. Pipercyclobutanamide A (26), pipernigramide F (32), and pipernigramide G (33) scored the highest Gibbs free energy at 50.489, 51.9306, and 58.615 kcal/mol, respectively. The ADMET/TOPKAT analysis confirmed the favorable pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and toxicity profiles of the three promising compounds. The present in silico analysis helps us to understand the possible mechanisms behind the antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic activities of CuNPs and recommends them as implicit inhibitors of selected proteins.
Understanding the mechanism of electron transfer between the cathode and microorganisms in cathode biofilms in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) for hydrogen production is important. In this study, biocathodes of MECs were successfully re-enriched and subjected to different operating parameters: applied potential, sulfate use and inorganic carbon consumption. It was hypothesized that biocathode catalytic activity would be affected by the applied potentials that initiate electron transfer. While inorganic carbon, in the form of bicarbonate, could be a main carbon source for biocathode growth, sulfate could be a terminal electron acceptor and thus reduced to elemental sulfurs. It was found that potentials more negative than -0.8 V (vs. standard hydrogen electrode) were required for hydrogen production by the biocathode. In additional, a maximum hydrogen production was observed at sulfate and bicarbonate concentrations of 288 and 610 mg/L respectively. Organic carbons were found in the cathode effluents, suggesting that microbial interactions probably happen between acetogens and sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB). The hydrogen-producing biocathode was sulfate-dependent and hydrogen production could be inhibited by excessive sulfate because more energy was directed to reduce sulfate (E°
SO
4
2 -
/H2S = -0.35 V) than proton (E° H+/H2 = -0.41 V). This resulted in a restriction to the hydrogen production when sulfate concentration was high. Domestic wastewaters contain low amounts of organic compounds and sulfate would be a better medium to enrich and maintain a hydrogen-producing biocathode dominated by SRB. Besides the risks of limited mass transport and precipitation caused by low potential, methane contamination in the hydrogen-rich environment was inevitable in the biocathode after long term operation due to methanogenic activities.
Microencapsulation has become a hot topic in chemical research. Technology mainly used for control release and protection purposes. The sol-gel micro encapsulation approach for fragrance and aroma in porous silica-based materials leads to sustainable odorant and flavored materials with novel and unique beneficial properties. Sol-gel encapsulation of silica based micro particles considered economically cheap as capital investment in manufacturing is very low and environmentally friendly. Amorphous sol-gel SiO2 is non-toxic and safe, whereas the sol-gel entrapment of delicate chemicals in its inner pores results in pronounced chemical and physical stabilization of the entrapped active agents, thereby broadening the practical utilization of chemically unstable essential oils (EOs). Reviewing progress in the fabrication of diverse odorant and flavored sol-gels, shows us how different synthetic strategies are appropriate for practical application with important health and environmental benefits.
Sustainable water processing techniques have been extensively investigated and are capable of improving water quality. Among the techniques, photocatalytic technology has shown great potential in recent years as a low cost, environmentally friendly and sustainable technology. However, the major challenge in the industrial development of photocatalyst technology is to develop an ideal photocatalyst which must have high photocatalytic activity, a large specific surface area, harvest sunlight and shows recyclability. Keeping these views, the present review highlighted the synthesis approaches of graphene/metal oxide nanocomposite, characterization techniques and their prominent applications in photocatalysis. Various parameters such as photocatalyst loading, structure of photocatalyst, temperature, pH, effect of oxidizing species and wavelength of light were addressed which could affect the rate of degradation. Moreover, the formation of intermediates during photo-oxidation of organic pollutants using these photocatalysts is also discussed. The analysis concluded with a synopsis of the importance of graphene-based materials in pollutant removal. Finally, a brief overview of the problems and future approaches in the field is also presented.
Herein, the role of metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) in biomedical analysis and the treatment of critical deceases been highlighted. In the world of nanotechnology, noble elements such as the gold/silver/palladium (Au/Ag/Pd) NPs are the most promising emerging trend to design bioengineering materials that could to be employed as modern diagnostic tools and devices to combat serious diseases. NPs are considered a powerful and advanced chemical tool to diagnose and to cure critical ailments such as HIV, cancer, and other types of infectious illnesses. The treatment of cancer is the most significant application of nanotechnology which is based on premature tumor detection and analysis of cancer cells through Nano-devices. The fascinating characteristic properties of NPs-such as high surface area, high surface Plasmon resonance, multi-functionalization, highly stable nature, and easy processing-make them more prolific for nanotechnology. In this review article, the multifunctional roles of Au/Ag/Pd NPs in the field of medical science, the physicochemical toxicity dependent properties, and the interaction mechanism is highlighted. Due to the cytotoxicity of Ag/Au/Pd NPs, the conclusion and future remarks emphasize the need for further research to minimize the toxicity of NPs in the bio-medicinal field.
In music performances, instruments made of traditional materials often cannot accurately express specific emotions through means such as tone, pitch, and timbre, and it is difficult to adjust the sound effects according to specific emotions. This article studies the impact of conjugated materials on the timbre, frequency response, etc. of musical instruments, hoping to achieve sound effects that better convey specific emotions. This article analyzes the acoustic properties of conjugated materials and applies them to musical performances. It is found that conjugated materials can provide a wider selection of tones, pitches and timbres, performers can choose appropriate tone, pitch, and timbre from conjugated materials to express emotions according to specific emotional needs, or adjust and transform the tone, pitch, and timbre for specific emotions, thereby arousing emotional resonance from the audience, so that specific emotions can be conveyed to the audience more accurately and powerfully. At the same time, this research also found that compared with an environment with poor sound insulation, the average sound absorption coefficient of metal materials in a room with good sound insulation increased by 6.5%, and the average sound absorption coefficient of conjugate materials increased by 25.4%, which shows that the increase in the average sound absorption coefficient of conjugate materials is much greater than that of metallic materials. The research shows that studying the sound effects of musical performances based on the acoustic properties of conjugated materials will help explore and develop more immersive and emotionally rich musical experiences.
Over the past few years, nanocellulose (NC), cellulose in the form of nanostructures, has been proved to be one of the most prominent green materials of modern times. NC materials have gained growing interests owing to their attractive and excellent characteristics such as abundance, high aspect ratio, better mechanical properties, renewability, and biocompatibility. The abundant hydroxyl functional groups allow a wide range of functionalizations via chemical reactions, leading to developing various materials with tunable features. In this review, recent advances in the preparation, modification, and emerging application of nanocellulose, especially cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), are described and discussed based on the analysis of the latest investigations (particularly for the reports of the past 3 years). We start with a concise background of cellulose, its structural organization as well as the nomenclature of cellulose nanomaterials for beginners in this field. Then, different experimental procedures for the production of nanocelluloses, their properties, and functionalization approaches were elaborated. Furthermore, a number of recent and emerging uses of nanocellulose in nanocomposites, Pickering emulsifiers, wood adhesives, wastewater treatment, as well as in new evolving biomedical applications are presented. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of NC-based emerging materials are discussed.
Nanoparticles (nanoparticles) have received much attention in biological application because of their unique physicochemical properties. The metal- and metal oxide-supported nanomaterials have shown significant therapeutic effect in medical science. The mechanisms related to the interaction of nanoparticles with animal and plant cells can be used to establish its significant role and to improve their activity in health and medical applications. Various attempts have been made to discuss the antibiotic resistance and antimicrobial activity of metal-supported nanoparticles. Despite all these developments, there is still a need to investigate their performance to overcome modern challenges. In this regard, the present review examines the role of various types of metal-supported nanomaterials in different areas such as antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, and so on. Based on the significant ongoing research and applications, it is expected that metal-supported nanomaterials play an outstanding role not only in medical but also in other important areas.
Bacterial biofilms are responsible for the development of various chronic wound-related and implant-mediated infections and confer protection to the pathogenic bacteria against antimicrobial drugs and host immune responses. Hence, biofilm-mediated chronic infections have created a tremendous burden upon healthcare systems worldwide. The development of biofilms upon the surface of medical implants has resulted in the failure of various implant-based surgeries and therapies. Although different conventional chemical and physical agents are used as antimicrobials, they fail to kill the sessile forms of bacterial pathogens due to the resistance exerted by the exopolysaccharide (EPS) matrices of the biofilm. One of the major techniques used in addressing such a problem is to directly check the biofilm formation by the use of novel antibiofilm materials, local drug delivery, and device-associated surface modifications, but the success of these techniques is still limited. The immense expansion in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology has resulted in the development of novel nanomaterials as biocidal agents that can be either easily integrated within biomaterials to prevent the colonization of microbial cells or directly approach the pathogen overcoming the biofilm matrix. The antibiofilm efficacies of these nanomaterials are accomplished by the generation of oxidative stresses and through alterations of the genetic expressions. Microorganism-assisted synthesis of nanomaterials paved the path to success in such therapeutic approaches and is found to be more acceptable for its "greener" approach. Metallic nanoparticles functionalized with microbial enzymes, silver-platinum nanohybrids (AgPtNHs), bacterial nanowires, superparamagnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4), and nanoparticles synthesized by both magnetotactic and non-magnetotactic bacteria showed are some of the examples of such agents used to attack the EPS.
In this study, the modification of the desorption behavior of LiAlH4 by the addition of K2NbF7 was explored for the first time. The addition of K2NbF7 causes a notable improvement in the desorption behavior of LiAlH4. Upon the addition of 10 wt.% of K2NbF7, the desorption temperature of LiAlH4 was significantly lowered. The desorption temperature of the LiAlH4 + 10 wt.% K2NbF7 sample was lowered to 90°C (first-stage reaction) and 149°C (second-stage reaction). Enhancement of the desorption kinetics performance with the LiAlH4 + 10 wt.% K2NbF7 sample was substantiated, with the composite sample being able to desorb hydrogen 30 times faster than did pure LiAlH4. Furthermore, with the presence of 10 wt.% K2NbF7, the calculated activation energy values for the first two desorption stages were significantly reduced to 80 and 86 kJ/mol; 24 and 26 kJ/mol lower than the as-milled LiAlH4. After analysis of the X-ray diffraction result, it is believed that the in situ formation of NbF4, LiF, and K or K-containing phases that appeared during the heating process promoted the amelioration of the desorption behavior of LiAlH4 with the addition of K2NbF7.
Urease, a nickel-dependent enzyme found in various life forms, catalyzes urea breakdown, concluding nitrogen metabolism by generating ammonia and carbamate. This process causes a rise in pH, supports the survival of pathogens, and can lead to infections such as gastric disorders like ulcers and cancer in humans. Helicobacter pylori employs urease for survival in the acidic environment of the stomach and in protein synthesis. To treat such infections and inhibit the growth of pathogens, it is mandatory to obstruct urease activity; therefore, derivatives of 1-(3-nitropyridin-2-yl)piperazine were synthesized (5a-o; 7a-k). All these newly synthesized compounds were investigated for urease inhibition by in vitro inhibition assays. The results showed that 5b and 7e are the most active inhibitors, having IC50 values of 2.0 ± 0.73 and 2.24 ± 1.63 µM, respectively. These IC50 values are lower than the IC50 value of the standard thiourea, which was 23.2 ± 11.0 µM. The hemolysis potential of 5b, 5c, 5i, 7e, and 7h was also determined; 7e and 7h exhibited good biocompatibility in human blood cells. Through in silico analysis, it was shown that both these potent inhibitors develop favorable interactions with the active site of urease, having binding energies of -8.0 (5b) and -8.1 (7e) kcal/mol. The binding energy of thiourea was -2.8 kcal/mol. Moreover, 5b and 7e have high gastrointestinal permeability as predicted via computational analysis. On the other hand, the IC50 value and binding energy of precursor compound 3 was 3.90 ± 1.91 µM and -6.1 kcal/mol, respectively. Consequently, 5b and 7e can serve as important inhibitors of urease.
The iron-based biomass-supported catalyst has been used for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS). However, there is no study regarding the life cycle assessment (LCA) of biomass-supported iron catalysts published in the literature. This study discusses a biomass-supported iron catalyst's LCA for the conversion of syngas into a liquid fuel product. The waste biomass is one of the source of activated carbon (AC), and it has been used as a support for the catalyst. The FTS reactions are carried out in the fixed-bed reactor at low or high temperatures. The use of promoters in the preparation of catalysts usually enhances C5+ production. In this study, the collection of precise data from on-site laboratory conditions is of utmost importance to ensure the credibility and validity of the study's outcomes. The environmental impact assessment modeling was carried out using the OpenLCA 1.10.3 software. The LCA results reveals that the synthesis process of iron-based biomass supported catalyst yields a total impact score in terms of global warming potential (GWP) of 1.235E + 01 kg CO2 equivalent. Within this process, the AC stage contributes 52% to the overall GWP, while the preparation stage for the catalyst precursor contributes 48%. The comprehensive evaluation of the iron-based biomass supported catalyst's impact score in terms of human toxicity reveals a total score of 1.98E-02 kg 1,4-dichlorobenzene (1,4-DB) equivalent.